ArrowFlash: Justice League
by Cking91
Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disaster. Rated Teen.
1. Chapter 1

**Arrow/Flash: Justice League**- An Arrow/The Flash fanfiction

Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disaster. Rated Teen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, The Flash, Batman, or Katana.

Chapter One

_Ten Months Ago..._

_Central City Chemicals- Research And Development Department_

"_Dr. Desmond, are you sure you wish to go through with this? The "Blockbuster" steroid is unstable at best and hardly ready for animal testing, let alone human trials."_

_Mark Desmond simply laughed at his assistant, a young woman of African descent, and ran a hand through his shaggy, brown hair. Irked that he wasn't even tall enough to look into the eyes of his assistant and probably couldn't prevent her from stopping him, he needed her to believe in his sincerity. "Of course I am Karen," he replied. "Science is built on taking risks and I, for one, believe in that notion. Besides, for too long I have had the mind, but no physical presence to back it up. That changes tonight. Now, run home and you can still catch the Particle Accelerator unveiling like you wanted."_

"_If you're sure then. Goodnight Dr. Desmond."_

_Mark waved a hand behind him as he turned to his lab bench. The steroid was a bluish-purple color, bubbling and florescent within the vial. Mark studied the vial for a moment and the dissenting voice of his assistant flooded his thoughts. She was right, of course. The steroid was only in its prototype stage and likely would kill quite a few lab rats when it was finally cleared for animal testing. And even though he created it, he had no reasonable idea what it would do to its body outside of its designed purpose to stimulate bone and muscle growth. However, Mark had never been this close before and was not willing to wait another day. He had suffered too much because of his lack of height and physical prowess. Even now, as one of the top research chemists in the country, he was still unable to even get a date. But that was all about to change._

"_Newton, Einstein, Tesla, all great names soon to be joined by another. Mark Desmond will be written about as the greatest mind of the current generation and the harbinger of a new era in human development. No longer will children have to be bullied like I was. With this one test, I can finally even the playing field."_

_Mark uncorked the vial and lifted it to his lips. As he began to drink the substance, the lights in his lab went out. Turning to his left to look around, a pulse shook the floor and the room was bathed in a blue light. As the he swallowed, the world around him went dark._

Present Day...

Starling City- Docks

"If you guys don't hurry up, the Doc ain't gonna pay us. And then what will you do, huh?"

Butch Hartman could hardly be considered a patient man. Though bright, he has little time for school and passed his classes only due to his position on the offensive line for Starling High. He learned at a young age to use his size to his advantage and was usually near the top of the lists of the most feared kids in school. After graduation, he worked a lot of odd jobs and did some protection work for the local bosses in town. However, since the arrival of the Arrow, business hadn't been going so well lately and Butch had been getting desperate.

Luckily, he found work in the form of Dr. Jonathan Crane. Doc Crane, a recent import from Gotham City, always needed help unloading his goods from the docks. The pay was good and constant and Doc Crane was very generous to those who proved loyal. In a only a few months, Butch had risen to a point of respect within Doc Crane's organization and now commanded his own portion of the operation. All-in-all, it was a good gig that he wasn't going to lose anytime soon. At least not of his own volition.

"Got it Butch, we'll be done in a minute," one of his guys replied, hauling a large crate off one of the supply boats and placing it down on to the docks. From the docks, the crates would be shipped to one of the many warehouses Doc Crane had bought in recent months. The best part, at least in Butch's opinion, the protect was so spread out among these warehouses that the police couldn't seem to get a fix on where the next supply would end up. Even Butch didn't know. Doc Crane and his top men would come by and see to the shipment personally and Butch would get a bundle of cash about a week later. For the record, Butch wasn't even sure if the police knew about the crates or what was in them. There were so many drugs in Starling it had to be hard to follow them all and the drug Doc Crane was peddling wasn't exactly common knowledge. Butch himself had only taken it once and would prefer to never take the drug again. It sent his mind to... dark places.

Butch wasn't sure what kind of person would want to even take the drug, but that wasn't his concern. As long as the pay was good and steady he would sell crack to orphans. That's just the kind of man he was.

"Good. Once you get the last of crates off of the boat I'll send the message to the Doc and we can get out of here. Another good night's work, wouldn't you say..."

"Hey! Do you think you could deliver a message to your boss for me as well?" A voice interrupted him from above.

…

Patrolling during the night had never been one of his favorite activities, but he'd long since become used to it in the last year. Ever since he'd taken on this job, his hours had become sporadic at best. And to think, this started because he was bored during his senior year of college.

That was usually the case though, as Tim Drake often found himself bored with whatever he was tasked with at any given time. Tim has mastered physical and mental abilities at an early age, becoming a world class gymnast and chess champion while still in high school. When he started with this task, he was effortlessly acing all his classes and was set to graduate summa cum laude from Gotham University with joint degrees in both Criminal Justice and Psychology as well as minors in Forensic Science and Computer Science.

The project was two-fold, find out if the urban legend of "the Batman" of Gotham City was true and, if it was, discover the Batman's identity. Tim had been enthralled with the stories of the Batman and his effect on Gotham's criminals. Tim had secretly been using his computer and his own abilities to provide the police with evidence they needed to solve particularly hard cases. He had even made sure to cover his tracks, unless the person in question was exceptionally good with computers they would only be able to follow Tim's program back to a picture of an American robin, fitting as the quintessential early bird and showing Tim got their first. What could he say, Tim did think rather highly of himself.

Despite his rather exceptional abilities, he was still having difficulty finding any solid evidence of the Batman's identity.

He has indeed found proof of the Batman's existence and was closing in on a solid theory of who was behind the mask, but continued to run into walls. It wasn't until he was approached by local billionaire Bruce Wayne that the pieces came together. Tim had impressed the man with his abilities, even though he had been unsuccessful to that point. Revealing to Tim that he had cracked Tim's computer program and had been following Tim's effort to help the police with their cases, he commended Tim on his desire to see justice done. It was then that he filled in the rest of the puzzle that Tim was currently working on and in the process revealing to Tim that he was the Batman. Bruce offered to teach Tim the proper methods and hone his abilities further. Tim was talented and smart, smarter than even Bruce, but lacked the finer points that Bruce had perfected over the years. From that moment onward, Tim began to train as the Batman's partner.

He found himself able to keep up with both the physical and mental training, due to his natural talent and the time he spent as a gymnast, but really couldn't fight up to the standards Bruce demanded. He struck hard, but was often slow to react to incoming blows and had to rely on his gymnastic background to dodge attacks. To rectify this situation, Tim began using a bo staff to give himself an advantage in combat.

One year later, Tim found himself jumping over rooftops across the country in what was his first solo mission. Whenever he was out on patrol, he has strict orders from the Batman to only go after the lesser threats and never engage known killers unless he summoned back-up. Bruce was a perfectionist and it never seemed that Tim did well enough to earn the right to work alone. Until now that is. They had received word that a potential threat they were following, Dr. Jonathan Crane, had fled Gotham and made his way to Starling City. As the Batman was always needed in Gotham, he sent Tim to track Crane down and figure out what he was planning. Still, however, he was to report back to Bruce if anything went beyond what he could handle.

Tim stopped himself on a ledge and looked down. Sure enough, he found Crane's men unloading crates and stacking them on the docks. Tapping the side of his mask, he activated his communication device, while pulling out a small camera from the utility belt he wore around his waist.

"Oracle," he whispered, connecting the camera to a mini-computer attached to his glove. "I'm sending you some pictures of Crane's men. I need to know if any of them have serious criminal records.

"_Scanning now_," the distinctly female voice responded at the other end of his communication device. "_Only one name comes up. Butch Hartman, a local boy, with a couple of priors for intent to sell and aggravated assault. Want me to send some help?_" she finished in a cheeky manner.

"I like to know what I'm going up against. Caution never hurt anyone, you know? Robin, out."

Steeling himself, he pulled up to his full height, slinging his staff atop his shoulder and called down. "Hey! Do you think you could deliver a message to your boss for me as well?"

…

To say Butch was surprised would be an understatement. In the time he had worked for Doc Crane, no one had even stumbled upon their operation. And now it looked like they'd run into the Arrow himself. Or the Arrow's sidekick at least.

The figure above him jumped down from the roof he was perched on, allowing Butch to get a clear look at him for the first time.

Despite the staff he was holding, the figure was hardly imposing. He was obviously young and smaller than Butch, skinny too it seemed.

He had obviously taken his style from the Arrow as well. The figure wore a red leather vest and hood over a black mesh shirt with ¾ sleeves. Under the hood, he wore a black mask the same color as the gloves on his hands and the military style pants he was wearing. To complete the outfit, or costume Butch figured, were red combat boots. Slung across the figure's back was a staff of some sort and a smirk graced his lips.

"For a second I thought you were someone serious like the Arrow. Aren't you a bit old to be playing dress-up kid?" Butch asked with a laugh. His boys had assembled as well and laughed along. "Listen. I don't know what you want with my boss but I gotta tell you, he doesn't like new people. So, why don't you just run home and forget you saw us. Or, you could play with my boys here. But, I should warn you. They really don't like to play nice."

The kid stared at him for a moment. "I can't really do that. How about you tell Crane that I want to talk to him and I'll let you leave without any broken bones. Okay?"

Butch's jaw dropped to the ground. The kid had some spunk. But he wasn't going to intimidate Butch. "Alright boys, get him!"

…

Tim sighed as the command was uttered and Crane's men charged at him.

The first was easy enough to deal with. Side stepping a punch, he delivered a swift blow with his staff to the elbow of his attacker. Broken, obviously. As the man howled in pain, Tim grabbed him by the neck and slammed his head into the ground, knocking him out.

The second threw a punch that Tim was barely able to catch with one hand. Using his other, he connected with his staff to the temple of the man, knocking him out as well.

Facing down the third man, he used his staff as a pole and elevated himself into the air, slamming his feet into the man's chest. A quick punch to the man's face left him in the same state as his companions.

Now Tim was left alone with the leader of the group who didn't seem to have the same arrogance he had before. Anger had replaced the smirk on the man's face as he rushed at Time with a fist raised. Tim was able to grab his fist with one had and level a blow against his elbow, breaking it. Grabbing the man by the shirt, he pulled him to the edge of the dock and held him there.

"Now, why don't you tell me everything you know about Crane's plans and I will consider not dropping you in the water," he said, lowering his voice and finishing with a feral growl, a trick he picked up from Bruce.

"I-I-I don't k-know... much. Cran, he he does-doesn't t-t-tell... tell us lower guys what what his plans are. I swear! All I d-do is g-get the crates."

Tim sighed. "Fair enough, thanks for the info." he returned. "Now, good night."

He slammed his elbow into the temple of the man, knocking him out and leaving his body strewn on the dock's edge.

Moving quickly to the crate, Tim pried it open to assess what it contained.

Whatever Tim was expecting, it wasn't the stack of horror DVDs that he found.

"Oracle," he said, activating his comm device again. "This wasn't the right shipment. Crane must be using multiple points of entry for his supplies. I'm heading in for the night and resume tomorrow. Robin, out."

…

"Butch, it's time to wake up," A soft and high voice said, stirring Butch from his sleep. Through the fog of his mind, Butch was aware of two things. First, the intense throbbing of his head and, second, the feel of something wet being spread in a circle on his painful elbow. As he opened his eyes, his visioned swam until it took the shape of a middle-aged man with sallow, yellow skin, thinning brown hair, and a crooked and pointed beak for a nose upon which sat a pair of round glasses that magnified two small and intense brown eyes.

"Doc Crane?"

"Yes, Butch," Crane said, pulling a small syringe from a medical bag next to him. "I must say, I am disappointed in you Butch. Letting yourself get roughed up and potentially putting my business at risk. It's a good thing you weren't in charge of any of the actual drugs. No, that would have been foolish of me."

Crane let out a small giggle as he placed the syringe to Butch's arm. "This may pinch a bit."

"Wait Doc! You don't have to do that! Really, I'm sorry! It won't happen again, I swear it... AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Butch finished in a terrified shriek. The form of Crane began to morph in front of his eyes, turning into something much more demonic in nature.

"Now then Butch," a now distorted voice asked. "Tell me, what do you fear?"

…

Since he'd mostly retired from field work, Captain Lance rarely found himself called out to a crime scene. However, something about this scene spooked his cops enough to have him come down and consult. Three of the four men he found were unconscious, all with broken bones and various in juries all over their body seemingly inflicted from blunt force trauma. The fourth, however, had been found curled into the fetal position crying and mumbling incoherently. The officers, as of yet, had not been able to calm the man down enough to extract any valuable information out of him.

The officer in charge of the scene approached at a brisk pace, annoyance spread across his features. "Sir, we've yet to get any information from the one man. But we were abler to identify him as Butch Hartman. He's a small timer, as are the others. All with a couple of priors, but nothing too major.

"What happened here?" Lance responded.

"Well, it seems like they were here at the docks to receive a shipment of something. There is a crate with a bunch of DVDs we found, but nothing that seems too suspicious. And the wounds on the men are consistent with a beating from the Arrow, but..." the officer trailed off.

"There aren't any arrows around are there?" Lance finished for him. The officer nodded in response.

"Just keep trying to get a response. I'll be back in a minute."

Walking away from the scene, Lance frowned. His immediate reaction would be that there was another vigilante in the city, or a criminal was tying up loose ends. Either way, that meant only trouble as far as he could reason.

Turning quickly down a back alley, he stopped to face the vigilante who had slowly earned his respect over the last few years.

"Hello, Detective."

Yeah... listen, a few low levels were attacked in a manner very similar to your own. So, either a criminal is cleaning up after themselves or there is another vigilante in town. Whatever it is, you need to stop them as soon as possible."

"Rest assured, Detective, I'm on it.

As Lance watched the Arrow peel out onto one of the main streets he sighed. Whatever the vigilante was going to do, Lance hoped it was soon. He wasn't sure if his heart could handle another city wide catastrophe.

End of Chapter One

Here is the first chapter. Hopefully, it wasn't too terrible. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. Until next time, peace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Arrow/Flash: Justice League**- An Arrow/The Flash fanfiction

Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disaster. Rated Teen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, The Flash, Batman, or Katana.

A/N: I want to than everyone who has read this work so far and would like to take this time to answer some questions. Yes, Barry and Felicity will appear, I didn't choose the pairing by accident. However, I would like to say that their relationship will take back burner to the plot, it's why this isn't classified as a romance story. However, it will be present and noticeable so don't worry. If anyone has any more questions or concerns, feel free to contact me and I'll answer to the best of my ability.

Chapter Two

"Another Vigilante Oliver? Why do these things seem to happen at the worst possible moments?" Diggle asked, hands placed upon one of the desk in the Foundry, or the Arrowcave as he had called it, annoyance clearly visible on his features.

"I've obtained some reports from the police and what they say, well, it isn't nice. Attacks focused around joints and blunt force trauma usually focused around the temple. This is precision work, scientific almost. One false movement or even the slightest lack of control and they could easily kill someone," Felicity responded. She sat in front of one of the computers, as usual, files pulled up in front of her. "Honestly Oliver, whoever this guy... or girl... or whatever is, they might be as good as you."

"I don't like it. There is too much going on right now to have another vigilante running around in this city. Whoever this it, they're our top priority," reasoned Oliver, still in his gear, sans mask, hands clenched angrily at his side. He spared a quick glance in her direction, but shook his head clear of his thoughts. Things had been tense with Felicity, at least on his end, since he had seen her kissing Ray Palmer. He hadn't exactly told her he'd seen it, but figured it was enough of a sign to go with. There was also her relationship with Barry. Whenever the younger hero and Felicity were together... things became tense, but not in a way Oliver would like. But it couldn't occupy his mind right now. There was too much at stake right now to be obsessing over Felicity and her relationship with Palmer, or Barry, or anyone else really. There were too many issues in his life right now, too many variables. To risk the potential danger of someone getting hurt wasn't worth the risk... and whoever this vigilante was, seemed to like living on the edge of that risk. "Felicity, are there any security cams or video feeds of what happened? Maybe we can get a clear look."

"Not that I've found. Whoever is currently paying for this portion of the docks has made sure no one can see what is going on here."

"And who currently is paying for this portion of the docks?"

"The dock in question is registered to a Dr. Jonathan Crane, formerly of Gotham City. From what I can find of him, Dr. Crane was once a professor of psychology at Gotham State where he conducted experiments in fear-based reactions. That is, until he was fired for... drugging his students. Not much after that."

"So, what would our vigilante want with this Crane guy? You think he was a student of Crane?" Roy asked, perched on top of a stool. His hands twitched at his side and Oliver figured he was ready to go out on patrol.

"I think that whatever Crane has going on at these docks is the key to finding and stopping this vigilante," Diggle expressed.

"I agree. Roy, suit up. We're going down to the docks."

…

From what he could tell, the seedy underbelly of Starling City was no different than the seedy underbelly of Gotham. Both were bastions of the corrupt and the rundown, a true mixture of both the poor pickpockets and slum lords are trying to eek out a living, barely scraping by on what such a destroyed city had to offer. If he had the time, it would be wonderful to see how these people react to fear. Was it fear of going hungry, of not having enough? Or fear of some mob? Or fear of this Arrow that he'd heard so much about? Please, Crane's hometown had a much scarier force in it then some Robin Hood wannabe. Who was the Arrow to the legendary Batman. Though some claimed the Batman was a myth, Crane knew better. He'd seen him. Part of the reason he left, actually, it was good to get out of the Bat's shadow. Really, though, his foresight had to become a bit better if he was going to be able to continue to study. Two cities, on opposite sides of the country, both with vigilantes running around and ruining his research. What were the odds?

And, yet, Jonathan Crane would not wish to find himself anywhere else at the moment. The benefits of being in Starling vast outweighed the consequences of running into the Arrow. Besides, his benefactor ensured him of his safety and provided the muscle and power to back the shipments in from Gotham.

In fact, if it wasn't for this benefactor, Crane wouldn't even consider entering this part of town. Though never truly well off, his post at Gotham State had allowed him to save a substantial bit of money and it wasn't like he had anyone else to support with it.

Two mysteries now occupied Crane's mind. The first and most obvious was the identity of this benefactor. Crane had just received a letter and a large sum of money to relocate to Starling and continue his drug trade here. He was willing, of course, due to the amount of progress he could make on his research. Even if he didn't send anything on adapting his drugs, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life. But that wasn't what Crane wanted. Crane needed to learn all he could about fear. It was his duty as a scientist.

The small white card he carried with him had an address scribbled on it, the meeting place no doubt. Though he felt concerned going it alone, Crane had to push his insecurities to the side and continue forward, even if every fiber of his being told him how bad of an idea it was. He was far from a stupid man and he hadn't gotten this far without being cautious. That being said, he was quite glad he brought along a pistol. Crane would prefer not using guns, he'd prefer not fighting really, but desperate times and all at.

Pushing the door open, taking care to make sure he wasn't followed as the card said, Crane peered inside. The moonlight flowing through the broken roof of the building gave vague illumination to a desk and a cloaked figure sitting behind him. Crane frowned, but moved forward all the same. He could make out a few facts. One: The figure was male. Two: The figure was massive, easily twice the size of Crane himself. Third: The figure was motioning for him to come forward.

Crane wouldn't deny that he was intimidated, but it wasn't going to stop him from seeing this mystery through. A true scientist didn't run from the unknown, but embrace it in its entirety as just another puzzle to be solved. That being true, it still didn't stop Crane from putting a hand on the grip of his pistol.

"Dr. Crane," the figure spoke in perfect, though accented English. Middle Eastern, perhaps, but also maybe Eastern European. Crane, had to admit, he was never the best with languages or accents.

"Yes. And you are?"

"I am Ubu, the right hand of the Demon. My Master has sent me to negotiate a treaty, of sorts, with you. I take it you enjoyed the gift he sent you?"

"Your Master must be very well off to just send out gifts like that to people he doesn't know. I'm honored," Crane returned in a level manner. He had more questions, sure, but he first needed to hear what this Ubu and his Master wanted with him. He didn't have a threat he could play and he doubted Ubu would take kindly to being drugged, nor would his benefactor take kindly to his associate being harmed. And Crane doubted his ability to take Ubu in a fight. Even with the cloak over Ubu, Crane could tell how large and imposing the man was. Crane hated relying on other people and hated being part of a team, as he had never truly been during his childhood. Crane was solitary by nature, but now he needed the information that was going to be presented to him.

"My Master finds your abilities worthy of support and wishes to see them flourish. He also wishes to help with your "experiments.". This was the reason for the money he has given you, Doctor Crane."

"Your Master knows about my experiments?"

"My Master knows many things and has lived many more years than you and I. He is quite knowledgeable about the goings on in both Gotham and Starling," Ubu paused for a second. "But we are not here to discuss the quite prodigious abilities of my Master, only what he wishes for you to do. In return for your services, he will offer you a weekly stipend to fund your experiments and protection from the forces who would wish to see them fail. I will also stay within the city and aid you to the best of my abilities."

Crane considered this for the moment. A weekly stipend would allow him the ability to keep paying for his dock and for his shipments without resorting to crime of any sort. He could also, if the money was good enough, pay for ingredients for his drugs without having to dip into his own savings. If the task that Ubu's lord wanted him to do wasn't impossible, then Crane saw no reason not to accept this deal.

"And the task that your Master wishes for me to do?" he asked.

"Simple. When your drug is perfected, he wishes you to use it on the Arrow. And then, once your research is completed, he wants you to kill the Arrow. Understood?"

Crane smiled, a crooked and broken smile. With the protection he was offered, he'd have no problem perfecting his drug. And to test it on a vigilante? That was only a bonus. He often wondered how much fear vigilantes suffered from. Or what they feared even? Now he would have the ability to find out. There was no downside to this deal.

"You can tell your Master that I accept his deal," Crane said. He watched Ubu nod briefly and raise his hand. Crane figured this was meant as a sign that he should be going.

As he left the dimly lit building, Ubu called from behind him. "Doctor, the first payment is already waiting in your hotel room. Don't let us down."

…

As nightclubs went, Verdant wasn't the flashiest that Tim Drake had ever visited. The ones in Gotham shone with neon lights, much like the rest of the buildings of his home. The inside of those clubs also glowed with neon and pulsed with the recent electronic beats of musicians that Gotham boosted. Verdant seemed to be much more low key and the music playing, though Tim didn't like it or the music that played back home for that matter, was of the more popular verity that currently played on the radio.

But back in Gotham, Tim never visited nightclubs as himself. No, if he went, he was usually there as Robin to bust up some drug deal or get some information out of Cobblepot or his goons. Tim, in his civilian life, was much to busy and respected to be seen in a nightclub even if it was an activity someone of his age would usually be involved in. The papers back home would have a field day. In contrast to the partying of his mentor Bruce Wayne, Tim was known as stoic and serious. After all, Gotham's wunderkind couldn't be seen falling from his pedestal.

But here he was far enough from home that he could enter one of these establishments and be able to play it off as relaxing on his vacation. After all, that was the "official" reason he was in Starling. The young Vice President of Wayne Enterprises- Applied Sciences Division was a known workhorse and a vacation wouldn't put too many people off. In fact, it would make him seem more normal and therefore, less like Robin. While Bruce separated himself from the Batman by pretending to be an irresponsible party boy, Tim decided to separate himself from Robin by being an overachiever. If it seemed that Tim had no time for himself, then it wouldn't be possible for him to patrol the city at nights. And though he did take his role as V.P. Seriously, and did earn the position on his merits despite what his detractors might say, Tim was grateful that Lucius Fox was such a good businessman that he could handle the entire company in Tim's absence.

Tonight, Tim had the rare need to visit the club in person. He needed to make contact with Oliver Queen as Tim and not as Robin.

Tim had figured out that Queen was the Arrow with only minimal focus into the case and a few redacted files that he and Oracle managed to steal from A.R.G.U.S. It was amazing to Tim, that despite how adapt he was at using computers Oracle was still better. The jealous and arrogant part of Tim wanted to protest, but the more rational part of his mind pointed out the multiple areas he excelled in over Babs and his, admittedly, much higher intellect. Barbara was a genius, so was Bruce for that matter, but Tim was in a league of his own. Well, not a league of his own as men like Lex Luthor and Michael Holt were both probably smarter than him. But limited company for sure.

When he first began to look into the identity of the Arrow, something he also pieced together before Barbara but, sadly, after Bruce, he had very few clues to work with. However, the Arrow had to have wealth and be relatively new to Starling. While Queen was not new to the city, his publicized time as a castaway was enough of a catalyst to change and hit the profile Tim was looking for. His former wealth was also a contributing factor. The only issue with this theory stood in the fact that they had been spotted at the same time. Well this would have thrown most people off the trail, as it did Barbara, Tim figured that the Arrow needed to have allies to do what he did. Oliver Queen was frequently seen in the company of John Diggle who had contacts in A.R.G.U.S. as Tim later found out. It was through these contacts that Tim found files, redacted, pertaining to the Arrow's activities in Starling. From there, Barbara was able to exploit the files until they revealed that the Arrow was an associate of Diggle's. This confirmed Tim's suspicion. When he brought the information to Bruce, Bruce revealed he had figured out the Arrow's identity months before, but left the task to Tim so Tim could prove himself. He also said he was proud of Tim, a rare thing indeed for associates of the Batman. But Tim proved himself enough that Bruce reasoned he could operate this mission mostly solo, as long as he kept Oracle and Bruce informed of what he was doing.

"Oracle," Tim said into his earpiece, cleverly disguised as a blue tooth and one of Tim's more clever inventions, if he wasn't being modest. Even if someone saw Tim talking, it would just seem like he was keeping up with business.

"Yes?"

"I'm entering the club. If I may contact, I'll turn the receiver on so you can follow the conversation."

Wearing a fine suit and a pair of custom shoes, Tim strode into the club, flashing his identification and a fifty to the bouncer to ensure he wouldn't have to wait.

…

Thea Queen was possibly having the best night of her run she re-opened Verdant a few weeks back. Chase was stunning, in more ways than one to Thea, and truly killing it behind the booth. The crowd really seemed to be into the flow of the evening. It was a pretty good night.

So, naturally, that all had to come tumbling down. Her bad mood, and the headache that accompanied it, came in the form of a well dressed young man that sauntered his way up to the bar. He had black hair, short but spiky in a stylish way, and blue eyes. He was of a shorter build, maybe as tall as Roy, but was definitely out of his teens. If Thea had to guess, he was in his very early twenties, only a few years older than her and Roy. Matching the look and presence, he wore a small smirk.

"Hello, I was told to talk to the owner. Thea Queen?" he asked. This was the first thing off about his appearance. He gave off the look of a party boy, the kind of person her brother and Tommy would have hung out with back in the day. The typical rich kid with too much time and money. The type of person she used to be. However, it was only in looks that he felt like this type of person. The tone of his voice suggested a very serious person whose every action was guarded and thought out. The type of person who hid secrets from others. The type of person her brother had become when he left the island and the type of person she had become recently.

"I'm Thea Queen. Can I help you?"

"Yes, hello. My name is Tim Drake and I represent Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City. We are currently in the market for a new brand to support and our attention has been turned to this club. Tell me, are you the only person to have ever run this establishment?"

Thea looked stunned at the young man in front of her. Wayne Enterprises, one of the most powerful companies in the world, wished to brand her club? That was unbelievable. "Um... no," she began. "My brother, Oliver, used to run this club."

"Is it possible that I may speak with him as well?" Tim asked.

"He isn't here at the moment."

Tim frowned for a brief moment, but let it slide from his lips replaced by a small smile. "Very well," he said, taking out a business card from his jacket and handing it to her. "I will be in town for the next few weeks and would very much like to discuss this club's future with the both of you. When you both have a free moment, give me a call and we can meet for lunch or dinner. My treat. Have a nice night, Miss Queen."

With a final nod in her direction, Tim left the club and Thea, mouth agape, behind him.

…

Oliver and Roy stood at the docks, frustration blanketing both of them. Despite casing the area for the better part of a few hours, they had seen no sign of this new vigilante or Crane's operation. It was like both had suddenly vanished the moment Oliver had locked-on to them. Of course, this being Starling City, there were a few gang bangers to bust up, but none of them were working for Crane or had any idea of plans or whereabouts.

"This Crane guy is good. One sighting of a vigilante and he's gone underground. You think he's waiting out the storm?" Roy asked, his bow hanging loose in his hand.

"I don't know, but it doesn't add up. His operation was attacked last night, but it doesn't seem to have lost anything of worth. I don't know why he or his men haven't been around tonight," responded Oliver, pacing forward. His eyes scanned the docks for any sign that they may have missed an earlier altercation, but the dock seemed undisturbed that night. "I doubt we're going to find anything else of use here tonight, we should head back."

Seeing Roy nod and head for hi8s own bike, Oliver made to do the same. However, something in the shadows moved suddenly and Oliver drew his bow. "Whoever you are, come out!" he growled, his voice deepening with his Arrow persona.

The figure that stepped out of the shadows, similar in dress to himself and Roy, was obviously the new vigilante in town.

"Hello, Mr. Queen," the figure said, making Oliver's eyes widen and his blood run cold. "I think you and I need to talk."

…

Jonathan Crane returned to his hotel room later that night, a fancy suite in one of the nicest hotels in the city thanks to Ubu's Master, opened the door and stepped in quickly. A Ubu had predicted, there was a small envelope sitting on the nightstand next to the bed with a note propped up next to it and a burner phone resting next to that . The envelope was filled with a very large sum of money, which Crane noted with a smile, and the note read only a few words: _Call this number 213-xxx-xxxx_.

"Hello," the voice on the other end intoned. Though Crane admitted to himself that he was bad with accents, this person was male, clearly, and from some part of Eastern Asia. "Dr. Crane?"

Surprised, Crane answered. "Yes."

"Good that means that Ubu talked to you. We'll be flying in tomorrow morning."

"And who are you?"

"Consider us crowd control. You know, in case things get messy."

…

Central City- Star Labs.

Barry huffed in annoyance as he moved his pawn forward one space. He had recently taken up playing chess against Dr. Well to "become a better tactical thinker" and it wasn't going well. In the last ten games, Barry had manged to check Wells only once and the games were often over in less than twenty moves. Despite his aptitude for science, Barry found himself at a loss playing this game and his nerdy ego was smarting.

Wells smirked a bit and moved his knight, taking the pawn. "Checkmate."

Barry sighed and stood up from his seat. Running a hand through his brown hair.

"Twenty-five turns that time Barry, you're getting better," Cisco stated, one hand reaching into a bag of chips.

"Yes, but he's still not think far enough ahead. Against a smart meta-human, or a tactical one, Barry wouldn't stand a chance. It's truly a good thing he's only gone up against the dim or arrogant so far. Another game?"

Barry reluctantly nodded and sat back down to re-arrange his pieces to the correct starting order.

"Hey," Caitlin called from the other room. "I hate to break-up this training session, but we've got something going on downtown."

Barry smiled, moving from the seat to a standing position in his costume in a blur of motion. "Another time then?"

"Yes, another time," Wells replied, a bemused smile on his face.

End of Chapter Two

Author's Note 2: I think now would be a good time to explain my characterization of Tim Drake. For those who do not know him, Tim is the third person to take on the mantle of Robin following Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. He is also considered the "smart" one of the Batfamily. This isn't to discount Bruce or anyone else, but even Bruce himself claimed that Tim would one day be a better detective than himself.

Now, Tim is also considered a good leader and a solid fighter. However, I see Oliver as a better fighter do to the amount of experience he has compared to Tim. I also want to express Oliver's ability to lead and inspire more so than Tim's, because I never saw it as important to Tim's character as to Oliver's. So, this leaves me to focus on Tim's intellect and his detective ability as opposed to his other abilities, which will be highlighted later.

I also took some characterization from the New 52, which highlights Tim as a gymnast which I use, but also his arrogant and serious tendencies. Above anything else, my version of Tim will be a brilliant detective and a serious hero who is very confident in his abilities, hopefully with all of the faults that go along with these traits. I also added a bit of wit to the character for some color.

Thanks again for reading. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Arrow/Flash: Justice League**- An Arrow/The Flash fanfiction

Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disaster. Rated Teen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, The Flash, Batman, or Katana.

Chapter Three

"Guys, what am I dealing with here?" Barry asked, rushing through the streets of Central City. The fast paced nature of his job, and his powers, was great and he honestly loved being a hero. However, he couldn't help but agree with Oliver that maybe he and his team didn't take this gig seriously enough. Turning a corner at well over two-hundred miles was always fun, but right now he had to concentrate and make sure he could help avert some sort of disaster.

"It's a robbery at First Central National. However, from what I can gather, the suspect busted through the walls of the bank to get inside both the bank itself and the vault," Caitlin responded. "Barry watch out, whatever this is... it's serious."

"Possible super-strength and super-endurance," Barry mumbled to himself. "This is just like Tony. So, in theory, the same plan should work here."

Barry could hear the sounds of police sirens fast approaching as he neared the bank. If he was lucky, the thief would be somewhere near, but Barry was certain he could track him even if the thief had escaped. His first priority was to make it to the bank and protect any civilians that were in potential trouble.

Eyes wide with shock, Barry could only stare at the man-sized hole in the outer wall of the bank. The majority of the rubble was on the inside, clearly indicating that this was hole the thief had entered the bank from.

Entering quickly, Barry relieved to see that nobody inside seemed to be hurt, save for a patron with an ice pack on their ankle.

Another scan of the building had Barry finding Joe and Eddie, with their backs turned to him, talking to the manager of the bank. Nowhere, however, did he see anything that could have done such a thing to the wall.

Thinking quickly, Barry sped out of the building to return a moment later in his civilian clothes.

"Joe, Eddie!" he called, walking up to meet with them. "Any idea on what happened here?"

"From what we can tell, a man burst through the wall and help up a bag. Then, a smaller man came through the hole and demanded a large sum of money. Not much to go on," Joe responded.

Barry paused for a moment, taking in the information. "Did anyone see which way they went? If not, then we need to get some security feed from the cameras in town. Maybe we can track them to see where they're heading."

"I'll get right on that," Eddie said. "By the way, Barry, Iris and I are having a house warming party tonight and would love it if you would come. Be there around seven."

With a small smile and nod, Eddie left.

Joe jerked his head, motioning for Barry to follow him to a more secluded area of the Bank away from potentially prying ears.

"Joe, this case is different than anything we've faced before. We've never had a meta that took orders from anyone else before."

"These people are dangerous by themselves, but they're usually pretty messed up. What would happen if one of them was following someone else? Barry, finding and stopping this meta is top priority, for both the police and the Flash."

"You're right. I'm gonna head to Star Labs. If you hear anything. Let me know."

..

The wind blowing in from the docks was cold, enough to bother even the most dedicated of his Master's servants, but Ubu paid it no mind. He was, after all, his Master's most trusted and loyal vassal. He alone had served with the fervor needed to be of use to his Master and was the only of his loyal enough to warrant a place of merit in the new world his Master hoped to create. He had fought well over the years and proved himself superior to almost every foe. Now, as he saw his Master's grand plan come that much closer to fruition, he allowed himself a small smile. When they are able to write of his Master's conquest, they will talk of this day and the role Ubu played in it.

Still, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the current course of action his Master had decided on. Ubu felt that this task could be handled by those loyal to his Master, there was no need to bring in... outsiders. Especially these outsiders. The rank and file were trained, sure, but the their leader was a vicious breed who knew little of honor or respect. Even worse, he had murder one of his own kin. Family and honor were the most important of the virtues instilled in Ubu during his time serving his Master and, therefore, the problems Ubu had with this plan stemmed from the lack of these same virtues in their new ally. This man, no dog, should only be used to clear trash and nothing more.

But Ubu was nothing if not loyal and he did not question his Master's plan. His Master had lived many more years than Ubu, obtaining a level of knowledge that Ubu could never comprehend. If this was his Master's wish, then Ubu would see it done.

The large scale ship pulled slowly into the dock, and Ubu nodded to his Master's loyal to secure the area in case of problems. He was ordered to help this man, but if the need arose, Ubu would have no problem removing his head and presenting it to his Master as a trophy.

As the ship began to let off passengers, Ubu moved to the receive their "honored" guest, grim solidarity spread over his features.

The few passengers aboard the ship were mostly the crew, however, thirty or so were the ones Ubu was charged with receiving. From there he would direct them to the places Ubu had for their operations and give the their assignments. Then, if all went well, Ubu could wash his hands of this filth and return to the side of his Master where he belonged.

The thiry or so men that exited the ship stood in a semicircle around Ubu, tense as he was and ready to attack if the need arose. Ubu scoffed to himself at the idea. Not one of these fools would be able to touch him in a battle, even if they were to all attack at once.

The sea of men parted down the middle, to reveal a man of Japanese decent as Ubu had been informed in their previous meetings. He was wearing an expensive white suit, custom tailored, and a pair of sunglasses. Adjusting the Rolex he wore around his right wrist, he extended the hand in greeting to Ubu, a feral grin spread about his face.

"Ubu, it's been a long time. How's Ra's?"

Ubu growled at the man before him, his voice low and dangerous he picked up the man by the collar if his suit, dragging him to the edge of the dock even with the now ready to move Yakuza soldiers awaiting the order to attack. "Infidel, you are not worthy to speak his name and will refer to him as the Demon, if you refer to him at all. Am I understood? My Master has respect for your organization because it too knows of respect and honor. You will show the same to him."

"Down boys," the man responded. The soldiers backed into a calm position. "Of course, Ubu, I apologize for my rudeness. Long ride."

Ubu sighed and released the man from his grip. Fixing his now wrinkled jacket, the man continued. "Your Master was very vague when he contacted my superiors to hire me for this mission. I assume you have the rest of our intel, pus the the payment?"

"You will be providing security for Doctor Crane, as you have been told. He is bringing in shipments of his experimental drug through the docks and his own men have proven to be ineffective in protecting these shipments. My Master wishes for you to protect these shipments from any unwanted attention. When Doctor Crane has perfected his drug, you are to help him kill the vigilante known as the Arrow. When this is complete, you will be payed in full. Until then, you have an expense account set up for whatever you may need to complete the mission. Understood?"

"Understood. But if Crane should fail?"

"Then you will kill both Crane and the Arrow. Is there anything else?"

The man smiled, shaking his head no in the process.

"Good. Then, if you would, follow me."

…

Takeo Yamashiro was hardly a man to be trifled with. And since he had risen in the ranks of the Yakuza, he now had even more power and respect. That's why it irked him to be given orders by a servant like Ubu.

Ubu wasn't stupid and Takeo knew he to play him as such. If Ubu suspected anything he would tear through the men Takeo brought with him and most likely kill Takeo in the process. That was something Takeo could not allow to happen.

He wanted Crane to trust him from the moment he entered Starling City.

He would follow Ra's for the time being, it was smart to see if this plan would succeed. If so, he could set up a power base of his own in Starling and one less vigilante around never hurt anyone. Plus, the pay that Ra's was offering was substantial enough to give to his superiors so he could continue unmolested in his own machinations for the time being.

But, if it came down to it, Takeo was willing to betray Ra's and his superiors if it meant the chance to get his hands on Crane's fear drug and use it for his own means. With Crane and his drug under Takeo's control, he could take over the entirety of the Yakuza or, better yet, start his own gang. Ra's would be a problem, but one that was easily fixed if he had the man power and supplies. Besides, Takeo never liked being subservient to anyone and this was the quickest way to ensure he never would be again.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he smiled inwardly. This could all work out very well for him.

..

"Hello, Mr. Queen," Tim said, he perched himself down low to the ground in case his plan failed and would need to counter attacks from the Arrow and his partner. "I think you and I need to talk."

Tim watched for a moment as Oliver Queen and who he had deduced to be Roy Harper both tensed at the use of Oliver's real name. Their body language betrayed their surprise even if Oliver was very quick to cover it. Quicker still was his ability to draw his bow and point it at Tim.

"_Shit, that went south quickly,"_ Tim thought. He had to laugh to himself, a bit, despite the situation. Oliver was a known killer and here Tim was, on his fist solo mission no less, already breaking Bruce's cardinal rule for him.

Still though, he and Oliver were on the same side even if Oliver didn't know that yet and Tim needed to make sure that point was made before the two of them resorted to fighting each other. Tim had no doubt he could take Harper. The boy was barely trained and Tim was vastly smarter, even if he was being modest. And while Tim knew he could outwit Oliver and out think him, Oliver had too much experience for Tim to overcome and the result of that fight would end badly. That was just what Tim needed too, the papers picking up how the Arrow pummeled Robin. His credit in Gotham would never recover. He needed to have Oliver listen to him and fast.

"Okay, I admit that was probably not the best way to approach this situation, but I think you should put the weapons down and we should talk this out," Tim said, holding up his hands in a defensive manner while dropping his staff. It wasn't how Bruce would have approached the situation, but then again, Tim wasn't Bruce and couldn't beat the answers into Oliver's head. He needed to be heard.

"Talk, then, before I put an arrow into you," Oliver responded, pulling the arrow taught in the bow.

"As I'm sure you've figured out, I'm here investigating Jonathan Crane. He's using your docks to bring in shipments of an experimental drug from Gotham that induces a fear state within its victims. While we were able to stop him in Gotham, the damage he could do here is astronomical if you don't know what your looking for and how to combat it."

"Tell me then," Oliver responded. Tim was impressed, the altered voice Oliver used was nearly as terrifying as Bruce's. Time would be quite terrified himself had he been an average person or one of the criminals Oliver hunted down every night.

"Sweating, first and foremost. A rash around the mouth or eyes or wherever the drug came in contact with the person. It can be taken as a pill, but it's just as effective in aerosol form. The victim will be completely incoherent for the duration of the drug's effects as well. Expect mumbling and twitching. Also, I'd watch out for suicidal behavior. If the effects of the drug are bad enough on the individual, they may seek to escape by any means possible."

"Okay. You can go now. I'm giving you twenty minutes to leave my city."

Tim sighed. "I can't really do that. Sorry, but I'm answering to a much higher power than you."

"I don't remember giving you an option."

"Look, you're going to need my help in taking Crane down. I've dealt with him before; I know what I'm looking for and how to fight it. Without me, people will get hurt."

"That isn't going to happen."

"Then I guess I'll see you around," Tim responded. Clearly, he needed a better strategy of dealing with Oliver Queen. He was surprised, though, Oliver was nearly as stubborn as Bruce.

As he turned to leave, Time was mildly caught off guard by the sound of an arrow being shot. Throwing his body downward, he barely avoided the arrow.

"I told you. You aren't having free reign in my city. Now, we do this the hard way," Oliver said, notching another arrow.

Tim watched the arrow fly from Oliver's bow, ducking slightly to allow it pass harmlessly over his right arm. Standing up, he twirled his bo staff and stood poised, his mind already working through any potential escape he could manage.

"_My best choice right now is first incapacitate Harper. He isn't much of a threat, but I'd rather face Oliver by himself instead of fighting the two of them. I can manage a decent five minutes or so against Oliver before he should get the upper hand. If I can hopefully back him up and have him focus on helping Harper that should only increase my odds. I should also attempt to track them. Oliver would notice if I planted something on him, Harper is the better choice. Five minutes, otherwise I'm dead,"_

Plan set, Tim fished a few smoke pellets out of his belt with his left hand and twirled his bo once more with his right. Staring down the vigilante opposite him, a moment passed before an unspoken agreements rang through all three men. Game on.

Harper moved first, notching an arrow and firing. The trajectory looked like it would go through Tim's shoulder if he didn't move quick enough. Thankfully, he was able to dodge and took the fight close to Harper where he would have the advantage. Swinging his bo staff upward, he struck across Harper's chin, disorienting the younger man. Then, in the same fluid motion, he grabbed the hood Harper was wearing. Attaching the tracking device to the inside of the hood, he then used his momentum to slam the boy into the ground.

"_Unconscious, but no serious damage. He'll be awake in a few... ahh!" _His thought process interrupted as a white hot pain shot through his left shoulder. Clenching his teeth, he pulled the arrow from his shoulder, still managing to keep the smoke pellets clenched in his fist.

Turning to face Oliver, he had to dodge another volley of arrows before bringing the fight close in.

He managed to dodge the first two punches thrown by Oliver until a third right caught him cross against the chin. Staggering back, he was forced to go with the two blows that followed to his stomach, less he become more injured than needed.

Catching his footing, he caught Oliver's next first and threw him back a space or two. As quick as he could manage, he struck out with his staff against Oliver's arm. Using the momentum of his strike, he pivoted the staff downward and kicked at Oliver's head.

The kicked was blocked, however, and Tim was thrown to the ground. Scrambling backward, Tim was faced with the looming form of Oliver towering over him, bow drawn and arrow ready to be fired.

"This ends now," he roared.

Throwing one of the smoke pellets into the air as a distraction, Tim used the momentary lapse in Oliver's concentration to dive between the man's legs and make it behind him. Standing now, he and Oliver slowly circled each other both ready to continue the fight.

…

"A metahuman taking orders from someone else?" Cisco asked, leaning against one of the walls.

"This isn't something we've dealt with before. We need a new plan of attack," Dr. Wells inserted. His eyebrows were creased in thought, his chin held up by one of his hands. "I'd be willing to say that the threat wasn't the metahuman but the person controlling them and maybe they should be our target."

"Except this meta can bust through solid concrete and steel," Barry responded. "Whatever we do, I have to be able to face both of them at the same time."

"And Detective West is making sure to relay any information they get back to you here, correct?" Caitlin asked. Receiving a nod, she continued. "Then we really can't do anything until we find where they're going and the environment they will be in. Maybe we could use it to our advantage?"

Barry shook his head. "What kind of advantage? I don't think we can trap a guy who can force his way out of steel."

Cisco jumped up for a moment. "Actually, that may not be true. I think I might have a solution. Give me a minute, I'll be right back."

A few moments later, Cisco returned with a small container. "This contains Promethium, a prototype metal, almost entirely unbreakable, originally created by Dayton Industries before Star Labs took them over. However, we never really had a use for it outside of containment before. But that just may be the thing we need. He paused as the other three stared at him, eyebrows raised. "Okay, not Destructo. But the theory is sound anyway."

"Good, get working on that. In the meantime, Barry and I are going to theorize possible ways to stop the smaller of the two. What reason, Barry, do you believe that this metahuman might have to follow the lead of someone else?" Dr. Wells spoke.

"Hm... I don't know. They could have possibly been family. Or friends, even. Someone the meta trusts would be the best bet."

"Continue."

"Maybe the meta was stable enough in the beginning to find someone they were close to and that person is now taking advantage of the situation.

Thinking back on her situation with Ronnie, Caitlin scowled. "That's horrible."

"Not everyone has the same sense of family we've developed working together recently. I wouldn't doubt that some people are looking to exploit their loved ones if it benefits them in some way."

A small buzzing sound interrupted the conversation,= with Barry reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone.

"Hey Joe, you have information?"

"We found two figures on the security feed at the train station. Barry, they're on a train to Starling City. We stopped the train and tried to apprehend the two, but the meta took out an entire S.W.A.T. Task force and continued on foot," Joe said from the other end of the line.

"Guys, we need to get going. That was Joe, the meta is on his way to Starling. We need to warn Oliver."

…

Oliver continued to circle the figure, his bow drawn and ready. This vigilante was as good as Felicity had mentioned. But he couldn't be allowed to continue to roam in Starling. There was just too much at risk if he went unchecked. Furthermore, he somehow knew Oliver's identity and was brazen enough to use it during their brief conversation. This really wasn't turning out to be Oliver's day.

"_I need to end this now. Hopefully, I can subdue this guy before he causes anymore damage."_

Oliver fired another arrow at the smaller vigilante, who ducked out of the way and charged again. Oliver figured that the other fighter would prefer his chances in a closer battle rather than deal with Oliver's arrows. That was fine, Oliver could handle himself.

Oliver waited a moment for the figure to get close and swing that staff of his, before grabbing the staff and throwing it from the other man's hands. Without his weapon, he was much less of a threat.

Oliver punched again, only to get dodged and a right struck across his face. Staggering backwards, he caught the next punch thrown at him and threw the younger man to the ground again.

His bow drawn, Oliver faced the figure on the ground who stared back defiantly.

Oliver's eyes caught the subtle movement of the figure's left hand as it tossed another pellet, this time however at Oliver. Reacting quickly, Oliver shot the pellet on its path down.

This turned out to be his mistake. Once shot, the pellet exploded in a cloud of black smoke, covering the surrounding area and obscuring Oliver's vision. Oliver shot another arrow where the figure would be laying, but only heard the sound of an arrow bouncing off the pavement and confirming his suspicion.

As the smoke cleared, Oliver made his way back to Roy, waking him up before contacting Felicity. "It's me."

"Oliver, are you okay? What happened?"

"He got away. Worse, he knows who I am."

…

From the shadows of a nearby rooftop, Tim watched in silence as Oliver and Harper both got on their bikes and sped off into the night. Allowing himself to calm down, he again noticed the stinging pain in his left shoulder.

"Oracle."

"Did you make contact?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"And I got an arrow through my shoulder. I need medical attention. Is there anywhere I can go?"

The voice on the other end of the line paused for a minute. "We have a contact in Starling who knows enough about us. I'll send you the address and I'll call ahead to inform him that you're coming."

…

Ted Grant stood behind one of the more battered punching bags in his gym, holding on as Laurel Lance continued to pound into it. It was late and the gym was entirely empty save the two of them. But that was fine for Ted. Laurel was his new project, one that he wasn't going to fail. Furthermore, he would be lying to himself if he didn't find the prospect of spending time with her entirely platonic in nature.

Broken from his musing by the buzzing of hid sound, he stopped Laurel for the moment to answer.

"Hello?" His face contorted in confusion for a moment at the voice on the other end, before realization donned on him.

"Yes, I understand."

Closing his phone, Ted sighed. His training with Laurel would have to wait until another night.

"Laurel, we have to call it for the night. I'll call a cab to take you home."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But an old friend is in town and I have to meet with them. We'll work more later this week."

As he watched Laurel leave the gym, Ted frowned. He knew he promised to train with her in a few days, but whatever he was about to get into wasn't going to leave him much room for anything he feared.

End of Chapter Three

A/N: Sorry for the wait everyone. Well, here is the next chapter. I hope everyone liked it. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader for some of the segments of the story, especially the fight scenes. If anyone is interested, drop me a review and let me know. Thanks again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Arrow/Flash: Justice League**- An Arrow/The Flash Fanfiction

Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and the appearance of an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disater. Rated Teen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, The Flash, Batman, or Katana.

A/N: Still looking for a beta. Let me know in a review if you want the position.

Chapter Four

Sitting, sans mask and shirt, in front of Ted Grant was not the way that Tim Drake had wanted to spend the night. He had always preferred the gentle hands of Leslie Thompkins or the professionalism of Alfred. In comparison to them, Ted was rougher, much rougher, and sloppier. Tim just knew he would have a jagged scar on his shoulder. With every insertion of the needle into his shoulder, Tim winced in pain and, of course, Ted had refused him any sort of anesthetic for the pain. In Ted's mind Tim was still that kid he had trained to box four months ago and, therefore, this was a learning experience. In Tim's mind, however, he already answered to a hardline taskmaster and he didn't need another. Still, Tim was grateful for the help. He avoided hospitals if he could, especially if on duty. He could lie about a sprained ankle or cracked rib easily enough. But a puncture wound in a city with a living Robin Hood? The would be tougher to explain to any E.R. Doctor. And as talented as Tim was, medicial aid was never his speciality. Especially not in a place he could barely reach.

"Duck and move Drake. Duck and move. How many times do we need to go over that?" Ted lectured. Tim could almost feel the grin of the older man.

"Not much good against a man with a bow," returned Tim, almost wishing he had went to the hospital. "I'm fast, but not that fast."

"No, you're overconfident. You have skills, I've seen them. But you aren't perfect and you can be outclassed. I've done it personally."

"I knew I couldn't take him. And the fight did last as long as I predicted it would. Plus, I put a tracker on his partner. I know where they are."

"As if you didn't know that already. Plus, I doubt your plan included getting shot through tonight. Face it Drake, he beat you."

Tim scowled, then winced again at the pressure Ted used to push the needle through. "I never said he didn't beat me. I never expected to win that fight. But I did need to try and make contact. Using his real name, though, probably shouldn't have gone there."

"Bruce wouldn't have."

"Bruce would have taken him."

"I'm surprised though. Why send you? This is a pretty serious problem, one I thought he'd handle personally. Or at least send Dick."

"Bruce is busy in Gotham. We believe Ra's is providing money to the rogues to stir up trouble to avoid Bruce's intervention here. Plus, Dick is in his own town now. Trust me, Bludhaven is more of a hole that Gotham is. He can't afford to be away," Tim answered, a slight edge to his voice. Ted Grant was a friend and mentor, yes, but Tim never liked it when someone questioned his competence. Especially compared to Dick, the original Robin. Tim would never be the athlete or fighter that Dick was. But he was the better detective and that counted for something when one didn't have powers. Besides, Dick had personally given Tim his blessing when he first adopted the mantle of Robin and would still check on his new "younger brother".

"And Baby Bird is ready for his own mission? I'm impressed, you've grown in the past few months," Ted replied. Despite Ted's constant lecturing, Tim did feel that he had earned the man's respect with his work.

"When you've seen what I've seen even Jonathan Crane becomes less frightening. Bruce won't let me help, but I know that monster he's been tracking recently."

"Yeah, I read something about that. Wacko in some clown make-up? Don't really know how he could be that dangerous."

"Trust me, he's worse than anything the Arrow or I have ever faced."

"Sure kid.," Ted responded. From his voice, Tim could tell Ted wasn't convinced. At the moment, though, it wasn't the most pressing issue. "Anyway, this Crane fellow. Any idea why he's in town?"

Tim sighed for a moment. "Can't really say as of yet. My first thought is that he was simply fleeing from Bruce. But that doesn't make sense. He wouldn't have run to a city with another vigilante. My current thought is that someone brought him here. Someone who is looking to use him to take out the Arrow. I have some ideas as to who that would be, but nothing serious yet. Crane's motives, though, those are easier to deduce. Crane simply wants to improve his drug. As long as he is protected, Crane will go anywhere he can to continue his research. And the added benefit of taking out the Arrow? If Crane could bring his drug to that level, then there's a good chance he'll return to Gotham and try again. Who knows how many cities he'll hit along the way? Whoever brought Crane here needs to be stopped and Crane needs to be stopped while he's still in Starling. If we can contain the drug here, then the rest of the country will not be at risk and we can better protect Starling. I don't like fighting a multiple front battle if I can help it."

"Tell you what, I'll run it by some of my contacts in the street. If they've heard anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks Ted. We need your help on this one."

"Can't say I'll be donning my mask anytime soon, but I'll be here," Ted one final push of the needle, Tim wincing in pain again, Ted all but forced Tim up from the chair. "All finished. Don't go back out there tonight, I don't need your wound opening. You should be fine after some rest."

…

"It's bad enough that there is another vigilante in town. But, he knows who you are? I don't need to tell you how bad this is Oliver."

Oliver and Roy had returned only minutes before and explained the situation, promoting an angry curse from Diggle and Felicity to immediately begin research. Despite the problems they now had, including the fact that he was so easily outwitted, Oliver was confident he could win a rematch if it ever came to it. He doubted that this new vigilante would stay quiet for long.

"I know that Dig, but I can't do much about it," Oliver answered.

"Plus, he's proven he can get away from Oliver pretty easily if need be," commented Felicity, earning her a reproachful glare from the other three in the room. "What? It's true."

"Yeah, and he dropped me like I was nothing. Whoever he is, he's good," Roy put in. He held an ice pack under his chin and spoke with a slight lisp because of a fat lip, but his point was understood regardless. "We need a plan or something. I don't want to take another staff shot to the chin."

"We need all the information we can find. Felicity, has anything come up in your research yet?"

"I'm still searching Oliver. It's almost like this vigilante doesn't want his work to be known. It would be easier if we had a starting location. Did he have an accent or anything? Something we could use to pin down a general region of the country?"

"He was masking his voice. It was deeper than it should have been. Keep working, maybe you can find something online. In the meantime, everybody stay alert. If he knows who I am, there's a good chance he knows everybody associated with me."

Oliver paced for a moment, a realization hitting him that stopped him in his tracks. "Felicity, where did you say Crane was from again?"

Eyes widening in understanding, she answered. "Gotham."

"Check everything related to Gotham City and vigilantism."

After a few minutes of searching, Felicity smiled. "Oliver, I think I have something. There is an urban legend in Gotham City from about five or six years ago. It is said that if you commit crime in Gotham, "the Bat-man" will catch you and suck your blood."

"The Bat-man?" Oliver questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Reports vary, but it seems like there is a man dressed in a black bat-like costume who fights criminals in Gotham using a lot of the same techniques you do. Intimidation, theatrics, the whole set. He's never been confirmed and, of course, the Gotham Police deny his existence. However, the number of unsolved cases in Gotham has dropped drastically over the same time period and there has been a drop in total crime as well. The police attribute it to the policies of a Commissioner James Gordon, but it seems like the criminals are scared."

"But what does that have to do with our vigilante? I don't know of any type of bat that uses a stick as a weapon or wears red," said Roy. "Is he a copycat or something?"

"That's where this gets interesting. About a year or so after the first appearance of "the Bat-man", witnesses reported a smaller figure wearing red fighting along side him and using acrobatics. After a year or so, this figure disappeared. This pattern continued until the present, with another two sightings of the figure in red about a year apart as well. The most recent figure in red was first spotted about three months ago and he was carrying a bo staff."

"So, this "Bat-guy" keeps training new partners and, what, replaces them when they die or something?" Roy questioned. He shared a brief glance to Oliver, worry spread over his features.

"I'm not going to let that happen to you Roy. Felicity, I need you to run one more name for me. What can you find about Tim Drake?"

"Who's Tim Drake," Diggle asked.

Felcity took to her computer. "Wow," she said. "This is impressive stuff. He won the World Chess Championship at thirteen and competed in the Junior Olympic Games, taking silver in gymnastics. He tested at well above genius level. They say he's one of the top three smartest people in the country alongside Lex Luthor and Michael Holt. He graduated summa cum laude from Gotham State last year with joint degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology. He now works at Wayne Enterprises as the Vice President of Applied Sciences. Oliver, this guy makes my entire graduating class look like college dropouts and we are some of the brightest minds in the country."

"Can you pull up a picture?"

The picture shown, of a well dressed and serious looking young man, confirmed Oliver's suspicions.

"Thea called me before we went on patrol tonight about a business proposal from a Tim Drake looking to expand and incorporate Verdant. I think we may have found our vigilante."

"Oliver, if he is the vigilante then you need to be careful. He may have something in plan for Thea. Approaching from the civilian angle is smart. It doesn't leave you many options if you want to keep your operation from Thea."

"I know Dig. But I can't just let Thea go into this meeting without me being there. And, luckily, he asked me to be."

"I just don't think that you should go into this without a plan. If he is as smart as Felicity says he is, we can't predict his next action. He could very well expect every plan we could come up with tonight," Diggle said. His face was masked with worry, evident from the frown he wore. "Maybe I should come with you when you meet with him."

"I don't know Dig, I wouldn't want you there if something happened."

"Actually, I agree with him Oliver. We can't predict Tim Drake and it would be better if both of you were there," Felicity said, looking on with concern.

Oliver stood silent for a moment, running the scenario through his head. It would be better to have another set of eyes there in case Drake tried something. With Diggle there, Oliver wouldn't have to ruin his cover in front of Thea and he could trust Diggle to protect Thea in an emergency. But something about this entire situation still irked Oliver. Drake, for being as smart as he is, wasn't doing much to cover his tracks. Oliver made sure to have planned around his identity being questioned. If anyone connected the dots the way he and Felicity had, Drake would being found out. So, either Drake is overconfident or he wanted Oliver to know his identity. If it was the latter, Oliver may be in more trouble than they thought. And there was the part about the potentially multiple people to be this vigilante. That could show they weren't afraid of death or even suicide if it came down to it. If that were true, then Oliver had a genius with no fear to deal with. That was not something Oliver wanted to deal with.

"Dig, come with us for this meeting. If something goes down, I need you to protect Thea."

"As if I would let you keep me behind."

At that moment, Felicity's phone rang.

"Hello? Okay, I'll let them know right away," she answered. Closing the phone and turning to the others, she said. "This keeps getting worse. That was Caitlin. She and Cisco are on a train to Starling, Barry left ahead. There is a meta heading our way.

"Well, that's just great," Diggle sighed.

…

Barry's mind was as frantic as his feet as he rushed toward Starling. The run was exciting, yes, but it was more the issue at hand that he was focusing on. A meta working for someone else spelled trouble. And if this meta was heading for Starling City, he knew Oliver would want to be involved.

Dr. Wells had chosen to stay behind and monitor the situation in Starling in case they came back that way. He would be coordinating with Joe, while Caitlin and Cisco went with Barry to Starling. It was likely that they would need the combined force of both teams if they were going to be able to stop this menace. And, knowing Oliver, he was already involved in something that Barry could help out with.

Barry had Caitlin call ahead to Felicity to inform her, and therefore Oliver, that he was on his way. Despite the circumstances, Barry felt a twinge of excitement in seeing Felicity again. He was sure of his feelings for Iris, yes, but there was something about Felicity that made him feel... different. Warm, even, Whatever it was, he liked it. Being around someone so similar to himself made Barry feel less alone than before. Even though she didn't reciprocate his feelings, Iris was still his best friend. But she never really understood where he was coming from. Cisco was too energetic, Dr. Wells was too closed off. And Caitlin, she had too much darkness in her past. But he and Felicity clicked on such a fundamental level it was difficult leaving her behind.

Barry was also excited to see Oliver again. Oliver was, in so many ways, his older brother. His mentor. It was Oliver's influence he followed and Oliver's acceptance he craved. Even if he believed himself superior to Oliver in the crime fighting game, something that had yet to be proven he had to add, Oliver was a fundamental part of the hero Barry was becoming.

He almost wished that more metas would had to Starling City so these events could happen more often. Well, not really. But it would be nice to see more of his friends.

He sped into Starling City and went straight for Verdant. Seeing the club active, he decided to change into his civilian clothes to avoid the questions that would come with the Flash's appearance there.

Walking into the basement, he was pleased to discover all four members of Oliver's team already there.

"Hey guys," he exclaimed, a smile plastered across his face. He couldn't help it. The thought of another joint mission got him excited.

"Barry, it's good to see you looking so good. I mean, you always look good... er, well. You look well," Felicity stumbled, a blush spread across her cheeks. Barry cast a quick glance in around the room, missing Oliver's look of annoyance, before smiling widely at her.

"It's good to see you too Felicity. Hey Oliver, Dig, Roy," he named in succession. Each man was quick with their own greetings in return.

"So, Barry. What brings you out here?" Diggle asked.

"We've been tracking a meta with the strength to bust through steel and concrete and we believe he's coming this way. Normally, this would be something we would handle ourselves, but this case is different. There is another person controlling this meta."

"What do you mean "controlling"?" Oliver questioned. The frown he had been wearing since Barry arrived only deepened with every passing second.

"The meta's action don't seem to be his own. Usually, if they have a plan, they're the only ones to adopt it making it fairly easy to stop them. However, a second person means there could be other motives or that the motives of the meta aren't the primary ones. Either way, it's a mess. And with his strength, the problems are only increased. They could cause some serious damage here."

"Thanks for the alert, but we have our own problems," Oliver said. He swiveled one of the computer screens around to show Barry. "We had a vigilante show up the other day. One who knows who I am. We believe he's from Gotham."

"Is it "the Bat-man"?" Barry asked.

Raising an eyebrow, Oliver continued. "No, it looks like his partner."

"Oh, "Robin"?"

"You know who this guy is?"

Barry shook his head. "Not personally. But, I love these kind of things. The papers in Gotham refer to him as "Robin". Well, one of them. I think the third, maybe the fourth? Whichever number he is, the current one has been around for a few months I think," Barry frowned. "He's here in Starling? Why?"

"When I confronted him, he said he was tracking Dr. Jonathan Crane who specializes in some sort of chemical fear gas."

"Are you working with him?" Barry paused for a moment. "No, I don't think so."

"I don't want an unsupervised vigilante running loose in Starling. Too many variables."

Barry winced. _"That could just as easily refer to me,"_ He thought. _"Oliver is still Oliver. At least somethings never change."_

Despite Oliver's less than warm welcome, Barry smiled. "I'll tell you what. I'll help you stop this other vigilante and Crane too. In return, you help me with my meta. Deal?"

"Oliver, he's the only one with enough experience dealing with these metas. Plus, he could help us with Tim Drake," Diggle said, nodding in Barry's direction.

"The Wayne Enterprises guy? What does he have to do with any of this?" Barry asked.

"We believe that Drake is the other vigilante... uh, "Robin"," Felicity responded.

"No way! The guy's incredible! A chess champion, world class gymnast. And he's younger than me too!"

"He also knocked out Roy earlier tonight and I was forced to put an Arrow in him," Oliver deadpanned.

"Oh... well, so we take him out as well. No problem."

"Fine Barry, you're in. But we do things my way. Get some rest, we're starting tomorrow."

…

In one of his many compounds in Starling City, Ra's al Ghul contemplated his next move. Oliver Queen, the Arrow, had proven to be more resilient then Ra's originally though. Especially after Ra's ran him through with a blade during their last encounter. No matter, though, Queen was dealt with easily enough. His plan would see to that. And even so, the boy couldn't best Ra's in direct conflict... that had ben quite successfully proven earlier.

However, he had received some disturbing news earlier in the night that could be troublesome under the right circumstances. Apparently, the Detective's squire was running around Starling. Ra's respected the boy, but his mind was a risk Ra's could not allow at the moment. He had already seen how the boy outwitted opponents and didn't wish to face him in such a battle. Not that he thought he would lose, no he had too much experience to be beaten by such a child, but it was an unneeded distraction. Besides, if the Detective grew too old while still in defiance, then the boy would be the best candidate to succeed Ra's. He really would pity killing him. Not that he wouldn't. It would be a shame, though.

Ra's was a careful man. A thinker and a planner. Confident that he could postpone his plans for years at a time if he needed to. But, if Ra's could see the endgame, then he would work to achieve it. Ra's wanted a Starling free of vigilante influence and he was going to achieve it.

The first step of his plan worked perfectly. Though he was against working with such a maniac, paying the right people off released the Clown into the streets again and kept the Detective from focusing on him.

He then brought Crane over from Gotham. His drug would be the tool Ra's would use to clear Starling of Oliver Queen and that fool Crane, too caught up in his research, didn't even realize it. Afterwards, his contract with the Yakuza should take care of Crane. If not, Ra's was certain Ubu would be more than willing to do the job.

His third step had been to hire the monster from Central. Even if it brought unwanted attention, in the form of a speed using hero, he figured that he had enough assassins to do the trick. That is, if the monster didn't finish off the hero first.

But now, the appearance of the Detective's squire left another loose end Ra's would have to figure out before his plan would be complete.

The doors to his chamber opened and Ra's smiled, sometimes fate could truly provide the answer. Especially, if fate had given him a woman scorned.

"My daughter, it is most fortunate that you are here. I have a mission for you."

"I live to serve the Demon father. What is it you ask?" Nyssa asked.

"It seems that Timothy, the Detective's squire, is lurking around Starling. As of yet, he is not working with Oliver Queen. I wish for you to incapacitate him and remove him from this case. This isn't an issue, is it?"

"It was not a whirlwind romance, father. Nothing at all like Ta-er al-Sahfer. Just something to pass the time while she was away. It will be no problem. Do you wish me to kill him?"

"Not unless you have to. He may still prove useful to my later plans."

"As you wish."

End of Chapter Four

A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone. Here is Chapter Four. If anyone has any questions, or comments please let me know. Furthermore, I'm still looking for a beta reader. If you are interested in the position, drop me a review as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Arrow/Flash: Justice League**- An Arrow/The Flash Fanfiction

Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and the appearance of an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disaster. Rated Teen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, The Flash, Batman, or Katana.

A/N: Still looking for a beta. Let me know in a review if you want the position.

Chapter Five

The coffee shop that Tim Drake had chosen for their meeting was one of those chain stores that could be found in any city in the United States. Despite his issues with the kid, Oliver couldn't help but note the sheer cleverness of the plan. If he hadn't already figured out that Drake was the other vigilante, Robin, this kind of setting would only reinforce the image that Tim Drake was just another smart, but bland, businessman.

Despite the surprise, and the potential trouble that came with it, Oliver was also happy that Barry and his team were in Starling. Normally his presence would be an extra burden on Oliver's work, but today it proved to be only beneficial.

With Barry on the perimeter, it freed Oliver and Diggle both to attend the meeting and, therefore, keep an eye on Thea. Oliver hated that Thea had to be put into this situation, but there was no way around it for the moment. Roy had also insisted on being there. Despite the danger, Oliver had agreed to Roy providing additional support in a location across the street. He would be staking out the building from a far enough distance that Drake wouldn't notice him. He was also connected to Felicity, Caitlin, and Cisco back at base. He also needed Roy far enough away from Thea that she didn't become suspicious. He had been wary of his sister since he had discovered her new abilities. And that fight they had a few weeks ago only put him further on edge.

Looking to his left, he almost hated seeing the smile on Thea's face as they neared the shop. It seemed to Oliver that Thea only wanted to have a successful business and this venture would be the best way to achiever that. However, Oliver was now sure that Tim Drake had no interest in a business deal with Thea and was only looking to confront Oliver on terms that Oliver couldn't fight back, negating Oliver's advantages.

Still, though, he couldn't let Drake know what he had found out... at least not in front of Thea. If he could get the younger man alone, then he could force his hand. If Drake tried to run, Barry was outside waiting and Oliver would like to see him outthink the speed of sound.

The suit that Oliver wore today was one of his better ones. He needed to make Thea believe that he too wanted this business deal to proceed as planned. He hated lying to Thea, despised it with every fiber of his being. But right now it was necessary to keep her safe. But it didn't sit right with Oliver. This game he was about to play with Drake, Thea would be the pawn. He was about to play chess against a grandmaster and he had to be better.

"I didn't know my brother contacted you Mr. Diggle. Thanks for coming with us," the said, breaking Oliver from his thoughts.

"Your welcome Miss Queen."

"Please just call me Thea."

As Thea and Diggle continued to talk, Oliver scanned the outside of the store. The front was a collection of windows, if Drake were trying something then he wouldn't seat himself anywhere near the area. Oliver figured that Drake would be sitting near the back of the store, away from onlookers and in an area that he would be able to strike if necessary. Knowing this to be the best option, Oliver had Barry spend most of his patrol in the back of the store. He also had Roy, in street clothes, sitting on a bench across the street. If he looked hard enough, he could see Roy apparently mumbling to himself. However, Oliver knew better. Roy was informing Felicity of their approach.

"Ollie, you okay? You look nervous," Thea commented.

Oliver sighed. Even after three years, he still needed to control how his musings affected his facial expressions. "Yeah Speedy, I'm good. Just thinking about what kind of deal he's gonna offer you. And why he would need me."

"I bet it's because you ran the club before hand. You know what the revenue stream was like. It'll probably affect the bottom line and how much we're getting out of this deal."

Oliver raised an eyebrow, glancing at his sister.

"What? You can learn a bunch from running a club. It's like I already have my M.B.A."

Smirking, Oliver replied. "Or like you went to college."

"Says the dropout."

Despite his ribbing with Thea, he was on high alert the moment the three of them entered the shop. He picked Tim Drake out instantly as the boy was sitting at a small table near the window.

Looking over the interior of the store as well, Diggle turned to Oliver and whispered. "He really hasn't picked the best spot to do anything. Sitting by the window doesn't give him much leverage room and it involves not only the store but a large amount of onlookers. I honestly don't know what he's planning. Keep your guard up."

The three moved toward Tim's table, all wearing some degree of a smile whether or not it was genuine. Getting up from the table, Tim buttoned his suit jacket and extended a hand, a smile also across his face.

"Ms. Queen, it's good to see you again," Tim said, shaking her hand. "Mr. Queen as well. It's a pleasure to meet you. And, I'm sorry, who is your associate?"

"This is John Diggle. He's been around my family for a few years now," Oliver responded.

"Pleasure to meet you as well Mr. Diggle."

"Likewise."

"Well, let's get down to business. Can I order everyone a drink?

Returning with their drinks a minute later, Tim took his seat along with the others and smiled broadly. Oliver studied the young man intensely for a moment, looking for any sign or indication of what he was planning.

"I believe," Tim began, handing a folder over to Thea. "That Verdant, if marketed correctly, could become one of the most successful club chains in this country. This is a newer market and Wayne Enterprises is hoping to capitalize on the notoriety of a club run by the Queen siblings. Our analysts predict that your clubs could be setting the trends for music and clothing within two years of opening your second location if this is done correctly."

"It sounds good, but what is in it for Wayne Enterprises?" Thea asked.

"It's simple really. Firstly, Wayne Enterprises will be responsible for the entirety of the electronic components of your clubs. It's good for business of the acts that play your clubs use our equipment. Secondly, a series of clubs being presented by Wayne Enterprises will give us access to a younger cliental. It's no secret we've been killed in the teen and young adult demographic by both Palmer and Kord in recent years."

"You're in charge of Applied Sciences. Why would they send you instead of a marketing director?"

"I'm the youthful new face of the company. The marketing team thinks that if I am in charge of this process then it will give credence to Wayne Enterprises as a company that caters to the younger generation. Personally, I don't spend a lot of time in clubs or bars, but that doesn't seem to matter."

"Mr. Drake, what are the terms of the deal?"

"Wayne Enterprises will take control of Verdant's operations, save for this location, and you two will be named as officers in the company at the same level as me. You will receive a yearly salary and control of where and when we open another Verdant. From this basic deal, our lawyers are ready to work out bonuses and the other aspects of the contracts that I'm not proficient enough with law to deal with myself."

"From what I've read about you, Mr. Drake, it doesn't seem like you'd be lacking in that kind of knowledge," Oliver added with a pointed look in Tim's direction.

"Maybe at some earlier time, perhaps, I had wanted to be a lawyer or a cop. However, criminal law and corporate law are different fields. And, my current job pays the bills very well."

There was a poignant silence for a moment, before Thea's phone rang. "If you'll excuse me for a moment."

The moment Thea was out of sight, Oliver's face hardened and his voice dropped an octave. "I know who you are, Robin," he whispered. Though, to be fair, it was the kind of whisper he reserved for the most dangerous of the criminals he took down.

Oliver had seen that voice do many things to many people. Though varied, it was usually of the fear variety. He did not, however, expect the small chuckle that came from the younger man.

"Good," Tim responded. "You wouldn't be worth my time if you hadn't figured it out. I wasn't exactly subtle in trying to hide myself."

"You wanted us to know?!"

"Of course. I figured between your talents and Mr. Diggle's connection to A.R.G.U.S. it would only be a matter of time before you pieced it together. I also assume you have a tech person working for you, so that should have helped as well. Besides, Mr. Queen, I told you I'm not your enemy. Even as we speak, Crane is selling his drugs. It will become noticeable soon."

"I don't like you in my city."

"I don't like being here. But neither of us have much of an option. Until Crane is taken down, we're both on the same side. I promise you, Mr. Queen, I'm not here to harm you, your sister, or this town."

"And the business deal with Verdant?"

"I fully expect it to go through. Like I said, it's a good move for Wayne Enterprises. What you do with your salary, however, is up to you."

"Let me get this straight," Diggle interrupted. "You are willing to fund Oliver's crusade with your company? Do you even have that kind of authority?"

"You'd be surprised what my boss is willing to do."

Oliver studied the young man before him. His body language and facial expression told Oliver he was being serious. But there was still something about Tim Drake that Oliver didn't like. However, with the news that Barry had brought about a potential meta risk, on top of Crane and his operation, there didn't seem to be much of a choice in the matter. Like it or not, Oliver had to work with Tim Drake.

"Fine," Oliver said. "But, you're going to tell us everything you know. You leave anything out and I'll run you out of the city. Understood?"

"Yeah," Tim nodded. He glanced briefly over his shoulder to see Thea returning. "But not here."

"I've had some time to think about it Mr. Drake and I'd like to accept your offer," Thea smiled.

"And Dig and I have just convinced Mr. Drake to let us take him out tonight to celebrate. Meet us at Verdant at nine. Bring anything you might find useful."

…

For the second time in the last week, Tim Drake found himself sitting before someone else in his costume, sans mask. If Bruce knew, not that he didn't believe Bruce wouldn't find out eventually, Tim was sure his mentor would string him up by the ears or something akin to. But now, he had a reason to be where he was and his secrets, not that they were heavily guarded to begin with, were laid bare. However, not even he could have predicted that group that sat before him.

He had figured out Diggle and Roy Harper before hand. He had also figured out that the Arrow had been working with a computer expert. Also easy enough. That position seemed to be filled by Felicity Smoak, a name Tim had known only by the coincidence of reading one of her papers while an undergraduate. But she did fit the bill of a multitalented computer expert needed for this operation.

The other three in the room, however, truly surprised Tim. Not that they should have and he was sure Bruce would have anticipated the scenario at least. Maybe Tim wasn't quite as good as he thought he was.

The first of the new arrivals was Barry Allen. Tim had already deduced that the crime scene investigator was the Flash, but he hadn't expected him to be here. He also was not expecting Cisco Ramon or Caitlin Snow to be present. Tim had only heard their names in conjunction with the Star Labs disaster, but their profiles did mesh with the rough ideas both he and Bruce had about who would be helping the Flash in Central. He would have to let Bruce know this as soon as possible, if he hadn't already put it together himself.

"Tell me again how you figured it out," Barry groaned. Apparently, he had not expected his identity to be so easily discovered. Especially not by someone who had never even been to Central City.

Tim sighed. "You were the only publicized victim of the disaster. The entire country knew you had been sent into a coma by a lightning strike. Once you had woken and your activities as the Flash became news, it wasn't hard to figure out. Granted, the mere thought of someone moving at superhuman speeds is almost unbelievable. But I just put the pieces together. Guy gets struck by lightning. Man moves at superhuman speed who shows up right after said guy wakes up..." Tim trailed off, giving Barry a pointed look. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, though, not many are going to make that connection and it's not like they have a way of testing the theory. As long as you don't run without your costume again."

"Tim's deductive abilities aside, we still haven't heard what he knows about the Crane case," Diggle put in.

"Myself and my mentor, we've been tracking Crane for a few months now. When we heard he had left the city, it was decided I would be the one to come after him. The trail was hard to follow, he hadn't used anything to link him to his movements like a credit card, but I eventually heard a rumor of a new drug being tested in Starling. So, I came here. I was lucky enough to run into Crane's organization my first night here. However, I ran into Oliver and Roy the next night. Since then, I haven't been able to put a stop to any more of shipments."

"But you know how the drug works?"

"Yes. If taken in pill form the victim will sweat and a rash will form around the area where the drug came in contact with the skin. The victim will also be incoherent and likely mumble and twitch. In the worst cases, victims have been known to have seizures. Furthermore, if spread through an aerosol form, then the effects will be much worse."

"Okay, then it seems like we have two goals. The first being to stop Crane and his drug before it destroys Starling. The second is to figure out what this meta is planning and stop it," intoned Oliver.

"Meta?" inquired Tim, leaning forward on his haunches, interest piqued.

"A superhuman, the same as Barry," Caitlin explained.

"And one of them is on their way to Starling?"

"It seems that way. That's why we rushed here from Central."

"How long until they reach Starling?"

"The train they were on was stopped by the cops, but they continued on foot. I raced here as son as possible and Cisco and Caitlin were on the first train out. I'd say we have a day or two until they arrive. If they haven't already. I don't know much about this particular metahuman outside of his super strength. He could be incredibly durable as well," Barry responded.

"And you didn't search for him while you raced here?" asked Oliver. The look in his eye told Tim that Oliver and Barry had talked of Barry's lack of oversight previously.

"Oliver, I did search for him. I traced every major road coming into Starling."

"This meta, is he working with someone else?" Tim interrupted.

"We believe so."

"Then it's possible that this other person knows how to cover his tracks. Regardless, we shouldn't send Barry out now. It would best serve our interests to wait until he gets to town and stop him on turf Oliver is more familiar with. Until then, I suggest we stake out the docks and look for activity by Crane or his crew. I would also suggest we monitor any areas of interest from here."

"I can piggy back off of the satellites and get a view of the docks, but it will take some effort," Felicity said from her computer.

"I think I may have something that can help. Or rather, someone," Tim responded. Reaching up, he adjusted his ear piece. "Oracle, copy. I need you to access the computers in this location. I've made contact with Queen and we'll be working together."

The monitor of Felicity's computer went black for a moment, before the picture of a stunning young woman with flaming red hair appeared before them. She glanced around the room from behind her glasses, finding Tim and nodded. "Hello Robin. Thanks for the invite to the party."

"Everyone, this is the Oracle. Consider her an information broker of sorts. She's the eyes and ear of our operation in Gotham. Oracle, I was hoping you could help Felicity with the search of the city."

"I'll access the satellites and send pictures to Miss Smoak every five minutes. If anything happens in Starling, the two of us will know about it. Oracle, out."

As quickly as she came, the picture of Oracle vanished to be replaced by a split screen of the various satellite images of Starling City.

"Wait... how did she know where you were where?" Cisco asked.

Tim smiled in his direction. Reaching up into his ear, he pulled out his communication device and threw it to Cisco. "A handy little device I created just for that purpose. What do you think?"

"Wow! There's a small tracker located within the wiring. And, let me guess, your voice is picked up by the vibrations in your mouth. Right? Man, I have so many ideas for improvement."

"Get to it then. I have the feeling we're gonna need to be well connected during this situation."

…

Roland Desmond had always found himself in the shadow of his older brother. Sure, Roland could actually manage to talk to a girl or two and was actually tall enough to ride the roller coasters when they were younger, but nothing he did was ever good enough compared to his brother the science prodigy.

Mark Desmond was well respected by his teachers and his parents loved him. They attended every single one of his science fairs and made sure he had the best tools to work with. In return, they failed to make any of Roland's debate championships and scoffed at his awards for Model United Nations. Mark grew up into the scientist that his parents prized, while Roland used his silver tongue to skate by on minimal effort and the occasional criminal enterprises. Not that his parents ever knew about that, though. No, Roland knew just what words and phrases to use to get himself out any sort of trouble with the police.

Needless to say, Roland grew to resent both his parents and brother. This was a feeling that lasted well into their adult years.

It was a pity too. If they had simply looked favorably upon him at all during his childhood, he wouldn't have needed to convince the Yakuza that his father had been stealing from them. Maybe, they'd still be alive and Roland wouldn't wouldn't owe this current favor. But in reality, his current target for manipulation would hardly be a challenge.

As his only living relative, Roland was the first to be informed of Mark's "injury". His company had wanted to keep it a secret, they were hoping that the drug Mark had been working on, this "Blockbuster" formula would be the next break through in steroids. Possibly, even, a drug with military applications. Roland doubted that Mark ever considered that the particle accelerator would malfunction and ruin his first "clinical trial".

Still, having a mindless brute on his side was a benefit that Roland looked to capitalize on in his dealing with the Yakuza.

Roland smiled as he watched the now hulking form of his older brother stomp his way through the weeds and grass on the outskirts of Starling City. The plan was to use the less conventional methods of entering the city to shield them from the watchful eye of the Arrow as they entered his turf. No need to alert the resident vigilante if they didn't need to. Furthermore, it also hid them from that buffoon the Flash who had been tracing them from Central. They way he stopped criminals was brilliant, sure, but Roland doubted the red clad hero had an ounce of tactical thought process.

Roland unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket, scanning the address they needed to reach. Having done his research before he left, he found that the address was a large store house just on the outside of the city docks owned by a man named Head. A perfect place really to plan some sort of massive criminal enterprise. Roland wasn't really fond of those kind of activities, preferring smaller jobs himself, but he wasn't in charge and he wasn't going to go against the Yakuza. Mark was strong, yes, and completely under his control but he doubted even his older brother could withstand a hail of bullets.

Straightening his faded jean jacket and running a hand through his long, yet thinning, black hair, Roland smiled a wrinkled smile. This could all work out very well for him.

For the first time in his life, he had the words and the muscle to back it up. As long as the yakuza weren't aware of his brother's limitations then he could walk away without looking back. One simple job separated him from a life of crime that would be nearly impossible to stop.

After a few minutes of searching, he and his brother came to the designated warehouse. It was a large and rundown building, obviously hit hard during the both the earthquake and the terrorist attack Roland had read about. But its dilapidated nature hid a brilliant secret. No one would ever consider this sort of building to be the base of some criminal enterprise, it was too obvious.

Roland nodded to Mark, watching the oaf muscle his way through the doors of the building.

Sitting at a desk in the exact middle was his contact with the Yakuza and two men Roland did not recognize. The first of these two men was small and jittery. He took one look at Mark and let out a squawk of terror, throwing his head down to the desk and cutting up some fine white powder. Obviously hoping that if he avoided looking at Mark, the brute would fail to notice him. The second of the two men, of Middle Eastern or Asian decent Roland noted, was stocky and strong with a completely shaved head and a look of regal superiority gracing his features. Upon seeing Mark, the man simply scowled and traced his eyes up and down Mark's form. Roland knew this tactic himself. This man was sizing Mark up to see if there were any weak points. It was a clever plan, but with the downsize of alerting Roland to be especially careful.

His contact with the Yakuza, Takeo Yamashiro, looked the same as the last time Roland had seen him. Still wearing a white suit and still pretentious as all hell. Still, Roland knew how clever Takeo was. He was not going to be manipulated again.

Takeo grinned a cheshire smile upon seeing Roland. "Roland, I'm glad you could make it. These two gentlemen are Doctor Crane and Ubu. Doctor Crane is our client and Ubu's boss is our backer for this endeavor. You and your brother will be helping provide security for the good doctor's drug smuggling operations. Doctor Crane, Ubu, Roland and his brother here are our insurance policy."

End of Chapter Five

Again, sorry for the late post. This chapter is meant to bring together most of the players into their designated camps. Hopefully, it wasn't too boring. Like I mentioned above, I am still in need of a beta reader. If anyone is interested, please let me know. Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Arrow/Flash: Justice League**- An Arrow/The Flash Fanfiction

Summary: A new drug, street named "Scarecrow" is sweeping through Starling City. In his search, Oliver finds connections to everything from local pushers to the Yakuza. Complicating matters further is the appearance of two new vigilantes in Starling and the appearance of an enforcer with ties to the Star Labs disaster. Rated Teen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, The Flash, Batman, or Katana.

A/N: Still looking for a beta. Let me know in a review if you want the position.

Chapter Six

Oliver nimbly jumped from building to building, making no sound and keeping himself to the shadows as he moved into position. Reaching up into his right ear, he activated the modified comm device Cisco finishes hours previously and turned it on. This was the first night of the "Super Friends", as Cisco dubbed it, and Oliver was anxious to see how it went. If it didn't work, it would make his current multitude of problems much worse.

"This is the Arrow, I'm in position," he intoned. Stopping himself on a ledge overlooking the docks, he crouched down and pulled out a set of binoculars. His job was first strike and main attacking force. It was his town and he would be the one to fight if they had the choice. Besides, he was the most proficient fighter of the current group.

Drake, or Robin as Oliver should begin calling him, was set to be his back-up should the situation be more than Oliver could handle. Diggle and Roy were stationed as long range support, Barry around the perimeter. Felicity and this Oracle were on comms with any information they might need.

Still, Oliver hated having this many people in on the operation. It left him feeling vulnerable and exposed for so many people to know this detail about his life. Furthermore, he still felt as though Drake was hiding something from him. Oliver realized that Drake had allowed Oliver to figure out his identity and that irked him considerably. He was sure that he, Dig, and Felicity would have figure it out sooner or later, but the thought that it could have been part of Drake's plan infuriated Oliver.

And this mentor of his, the Batman? That was topic that Oliver was wary of too. He still hadn't come to grips with the notion that this man could be negligent in protecting his partners. If that was the case he had a potential suicidal overconfident young man watching his back and Oliver couldn't allow that.

The fact was that there was still too much mystery about Batman and Robin to be secure that Drake was someone to be trusted. And until Oliver had the answers he was looking for, Drake would be just as much a suspect as the men they were chasing.

But Oliver was nothing if not a pragmatist. Having someone with Drake's skill set would be a valuable tool in the current fight and one Oliver intended to exploit until he became a liability. Starling came first and Oliver would go to any lengths to protect Starling. It was the same rational he had used when working with the Nyssa and her assassins during Slade's attack. Though the ends may not have justified the means, Oliver did allow himself some room to work with less than desirable circumstances if the need was there.

"_Robin in position,"_ Oliver heard from the other end of his comm device. He looked to the building directly across from himself and did she the young man crouched in a similar position, coiled and with his bo staff drawn.

"_Dig and I are ready."_

Oliver nodded in understanding. Roy and Dig were ready as well.

"_Flash ready," _leave it to Barry, the fastest man any of them ever knew, to be the last one ready.

Oliver swiveled his head downward to face the docks. His eyes scanned the entirety of the docks within his vision. If and when Crane's men were to arrive, they would be found.

It was times like this that Oliver was thankful for his time away. If anything, it taught him patience. A trait he needed if he was going to continue in this line of work. Oliver could study the land around, analyze every aspect of the area, and still be fine sitting for multiple hours without any notable movement. The criminals would come in their own time.

But, he was also thankful for days like this when luck was on his side.

A large contingent of men dressed in dark clothing meandered onto the dock he was currently watching and he could hear a ship in the distance coming into port. Glancing up at Drake, he noticed a slight twitch of the younger man's head. They would wait for now. Wait just long enough for the ship to arrive and deliver its cargo. Hopefully, the cargo and the crew on the dock would lead them back to Crane before they dealt with this metahuman coming to the city.

The men worked quickly, unloading fifty or so large containers from the ship and stacking them on the docks. Once they were done, one of the men pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. After the call, he moved toward a car sitting idly at the docks and placed himself lazily on the hood.

Crane's men numbered at twenty, but they looked to be of better quality than the last time. If so, this only worried Oliver. If someone had brought Crane to Starling, they were willing to go to extreme lengths to protect him. Even so, the odds weren't something Oliver couldn't handle and with Drake watching his back the fight should be easy. Maybe it was a decent idea that he was here.

Oliver nodded to Drake to begin and notched an arrow in his bow. Letting loose, he smirked as it sailed through the black shirt of the nearest of Crane's men, the force pinning the man to the metal doors of the building Drake was on. Moving, as the men began to look around wildly, Oliver let two more arrows fly, each striking down a man in the process.

The sound of gun fire alerted Oliver to the fact that they had spotted him and he launched an arrow to use as a line to get down from the building. He spared one more glance at Drake who had dropped a few of his smoke pellets to cover both his descent and Oliver's as well. It was a clever plan and Oliver was glad he didn't have to worry about the accuracy of the guns while he made his way toward the ground.

Drake moved into a crouch next to him, sweeping his bo staff outward and taking the legs from under one of the closer men. Without even waiting to see if the man was down, Drake had already sent his staff against the temple of another. Oliver had to admit, he was impressed with the boy's training. But he wasn't about to be out done.

Still under the cover of the smoke, Oliver smashed his fist against the sternum of one man and threw his prone form into another. Notching in arrow, he sent it through both mens' shoulders. They weren't getting up anytime soon.

The smoke began to clear, but by now they had thinned the numbers enough that the element of surprise was hardly necessary to continue the fight. Drake moved quickly through two more of Crane's men, his staff twirling about in front of him in both defensive and offensive motions. Oliver himself plowed his way through four of the men as if they were nothing. Soon enough, there was only the leader of the group left.

Both Oliver and Drake stalked toward the man, Oliver notching a arrow while Drake twirled his staff. The man was thin, sporting a toothy grin. He nodded to both vigilantes in a form of greeting, before yawning a bit.

"You, where is Crane?" Oliver growled. The man raised an eyebrow in a questioning fashion.

"Does this normally work for you?" he asked. "The whole mask thing really isn't as theatrical as I had heard. Too bad."

"You better talk or I'll put you in the hospital," Oliver continued. He was done playing and wanted this over fast.

"Sure you will, big guy. As if I haven't heard that before."

"I'd listen to my friend," Drake responded. "He isn't known for his mercy."

"Sure kid. Listen, I've got just about a minute to kill so if you have anything else to say, now would be the time."

The clicking of around thirty guns broke the three from their conversation and the man just smiled in their direction. "I love that phrase. I really did have some time to kill."

…

Of all the escape plans Tim knew to escape large amounts of gun fire, he never would have guessed what would happen next. He figured that Barry would be the first to reach the area and knock a few of the Yakuza who appeared out of contention. In the confusion, Tim and Oliver could escape and regroup. However, it was not the speed of the Flash that saved them but a loud piercing screech echoing through the night following a metallic object being hurled at his feat. Tim turned to Oliver in the split second before all hell broke loose only for him to tell Tim to cover his ears.

Tim staggered under the force of the screech but kept his ears covered as a woman in black landed just in front of him, a bo similar to his clutched in her hands. She thrust the bo, incorrectly Tim noted, at one of the Yakuza and swept through another two. It was a good thing they were all disoriented or this woman would not be as successful as she was. She then adopted a boxing stance, on of Ted's Tim could tell, and sent another man spiraling with a well placed right hook. Okay, maybe she wasn't as bad as he thought.

Another figure, also a woman covered in black, appeared in front of Oliver this time clutching a long, thin sword. A katana, Tim noted, and he smiled. This woman he knew.

It was less of watching a fight and more of watching a dance. A brutal dance, sure, but one that was every bit as practiced as Bruce or Dick and cut with a force just as lethal as his two mentors. She danced her way through the men, each blow non-fatal but incapacitating and a testament to her skill with the blade she was wielding. Her movements were measured and each step was thought out well before she actually made it. Within a minute of joining the battle, she had cut her way through at least ten of the soldiers.

Tim spared a glance at Oliver for a moment, who looked stunned at the woman fighting, but he seemed to regain his senses quickly enough and began firing arrows at a quick pace. Not to be outdone himself, Tim entered the fray as well.

Using his bo as leverage, Tim vaulted over a few of the men and took up a crouch facing the large group that still remained. Fishing out a few more smoke pellets for cover, he was able to dart his way through the soldiers, placing well struck blows with his staff. Smirking as each blow hot a pressure point, he downed three of the men and found himself standing next to the original woman in black who, at the moment, was using her staff like a club.

"Thanks for the assist," Tim said. "You are?"

"Canary," she replied. "You looked like you could use some help. Are you a friend of the Arrow's? She took a moment to dodge an attack and deliver a swift uppercut to her attacker.

"Something like that. Listen, I've been watching you fight. Ditch the staff for now and focus on your boxing You're better with it."

She stared at him for a moment, but nodded and dropped the staff to the ground. She took up a boxing stance, standing with her back to Tim as he twirled his own staff around.

The soldier moved forward and Tim swept out. His staff connected with the first of the men and he used his momentum to to bring another down to his knees. Following a blow to the head of the same man, Tim vaulted himself into the air again and threw his feat into the chest of another. Following his own momentum, he landed on top of the man.

Looking up, he threw himself off of the man and down to the ground as Oliver launched an arrow right over the spot he would have been moments before.

Turing around, he followed the arrow with his eyes until it struck the last of the standing Yakuza soldiers in the shoulder. Tim followed up with a staff shot to the head to make sure the man was down for good.

Sighing angrily, he turned again toward the leader of the group and stalked forward joined by an equally angry looking Oliver.

"Is this over," Oliver asked. "Or do you have any more cannon fodder you'd like to throw at us?"

"Not cannon fodder. I wouldn't call him that."

Just as Tim raised an eyebrow in confusion, the door to the car under their foe opened and a massive hand shot out.

…

Barry had never really experienced fighting normal enemies in his time as the Flash. Sure, he had rounded up a few muggers and stopped a robbery or two. But he had never experienced fighting against normal men all aiming to kill him. It was a learning experience to say the least. His speed was a huge advantage, of course, but he had to limit himself to make sure his blows that would be shrugged off by a meta didn't shatter any bones in these normal men. Add to this problem the guns that these men were using and Barry found himself in a situation where he needed to constantly watch his every movement.

Normally, this wouldn't be much of an issue for Barry. However, he had heard gun fire from the docks and he was worried about Oliver and Tim. He knew Oliver could handle himself and if the rumors about Tim were true so could he, but Barry should have been there to make sure. Without the worry hanging over his head he could fight with his entire mind instead of splitting his thoughts two ways.

He had not expected to see much gun fire as he patrolled the perimeter. After making sure that Roy and Dig were safe, he began his sweeps of the surrounding area. About five minutes into his patrol, he came up upon a large group of Yakuza soldiers arming themselves and moving toward the docks. Barry, being himself, naturally moved to stop them from harming his allies. Oliver was a vigilante, Tim was a myth, but Barry was a hero and a hero always made sure to protect anyone they could.

Dodging the bullets, he finished off the final of the men and turned his attention to the fight that he hoped Oliver and Tim were working on.

Barry ran toward the docks, arriving within seconds, to see Oliver and Tim confronting a well dressed man atop the hood of a car. Standing behind the two of them were two women both dressed in black costumes.

The door to the car opened and a large figure stepped out, grabbing Tim by the neck and throwing him back around fifty feet. Barry rushed forward, scooping the young man from the air before he hit the ground. Still, though, bruises were already forming around his neck and he was likely unconscious. Even if he wasn't, Tim wouldn't be much help for the next few days.

Barry figured at once that this was the meta he had been chasing from Central. He was large, well over eight feet, with tattered pants and long, stringy hair.

There was a blank stare on his face as he lumbered his way toward Oliver. Barry moved again, as Oliver notched an Arrow and the two women prepared their weapons. Barry reached the beast first, throwing a high sped fist into its sternum. The meta absorbed the blow, skidding back a few feet, and tried swatting at Barry who was able to get away with time to spare. Barry couldn't afford to be hit in this fight, but he knew the meta couldn't manage to hit Barry if he tried.

Barry heard from behind him the distinct sounds of Oliver sending an arrow toward the meta. While it connected, the arrow glanced harmlessly off the skin of the abomination and it pressed forward after Oliver now.

Oliver, using his bow as a melee weapon, swung at the beast who merely swatted the bow and Oliver to the ground. Barry stepped up again, being able to hit the monster in the cheek. Oliver pulled himself off the ground and swept back, notching another arrow and hiring. This arrow hit the same spot that Barry had punched and sent the beast back another few feet.

Oliver moved again toward the beast and threw another punch. The beast grabbed Oliver by the hand and brought him up to his face. A feral growl escaped the meta's lips as he brought his hand crashing down on the side of Oliver's head. Any struggling Oliver may have been doing stopped abruptly and his body went limp, hanging loosely by the grip of the metahuman.

Both of the women who had previously been still during the confrontation rushed the beast. The first, carrying a bo staff like Tim's Barry noted, was flung to the side with minimum effort by the monster using the opposite hand than the one still holding the prone Oliver. Barry rushed to stop her fall as she came dangerously close to skidding her head across the wood of the docks. The second rushed the monster with a sword, which was promptly grabbed and used to propel her off her feat and onto the ground. Barry winced as he heard the sickening crunch of her bones meeting the wood.

"Listen, Flash is it?" the man on the car spoke. "I hate to run, but we need to get these shipments to Crane. And because I know that won't sit well with you, I propose a little game."

Turning to the meta, he smiled. "Toss him as far as you can out over the water. That should give us the time we need."

The meta grunted and threw Oliver out over the water, easily clearing a mile if not more. Barry sped off to catch up to the falling hero, managing to reach him and turn with enough velocity that he didn't fall in while carrying Oliver.

Still, though, he was too far out that even with his speed he couldn't reach the dock in enough time to stop the meta and his handler from making off with the shipment.

…

Tim awoke with a start, gasping for air. He was disoriented, for one, and his breath was short and ragged. His vision, what little of it had returned to him, was blurry and he wasn't able to make out much more than a few figures dancing like water in front his eyes. This was, short of death or continued unconsciousness, the worst possible scenario. His mind went into overdrive, tracing through each and every possible escape plans he could come up with once his vision returned. He gingerly lifted a hand to his face, finding his mask gone, and his panic increased tenfold.

Trying to sit up, a surprisingly comforting hand laid itself down upon his shoulder and costed him back down into a lying position.

"Stay down, I haven't finished checking you out yet," the soft voice commanded. It was female and familiar, something Tim was immensely grateful for.

"Dr. Snow?" he croaked. His throat felt like it was on fire and his voice was raspy and hard to force out.

"Please, call me Caitlin. Anyway, stop struggling. Treating damages around both the trachea and the larynx isn't exactly my specialty and I need to concentrate."

His vision returning, enough to locate his gear and mask sitting alongside him on a makeshift bedside table, Tim pushed her hands away. "Don't worry about it, I've had worse."

Sitting up, he glanced around what he know figured to be Oliver's base under Verdant. Oliver was being patched up by Felicity in one corner of the room and Barry was sitting on a chair moving his wrist around in a circular motion. Tim watched as Barry grimaced every few seconds and quickly figured that his wrist was at least sprained.

The only surprise was the newest figure in the room. She was sitting across from Oliver, pointedly ignoring the glare the man was sending her. The Canary, Tim remembered. Tim had heard that name before. Only the person it belonged to, Sara Lance, had been confirmed dead by an investigation Bruce had conducted. She had been a friend to Tim when he was first starting out, but Bruce had stopped Tim from following through with his own investigation. Tim knew enough to know that the League of Assassins had been involved in her life. Bruce never let Tim go after Ra's al Ghul and his league. But that wasn't the only similarity to this new vigilante shared with the Canary Tim had known. The costumes were similar, identical really, and her techniques were the same... just not nearly as polished. Whoever this was obviously had not been on the job long. Furthermore, there were noted differences, but their faces had remarkable similar structures and features. If Tim had to hazard a guess, he would assume that the two had been related.

Now that he had a moment, he studied the figure before him. Her body language told him that she was upset, clearly, and wanted nothing to do with the situation she was currently in. A blonde wig sitting next to her indicated that it was part of the costume she had been wearing when Tim had first seen her.

Felicity, Diggle, and Roy all wore some look of apprehension showing Tim that this was a subject that didn't wish to be brought into again.

"I told you Laurel, I didn't want you going out there. It isn't safe," Oliver said, using the same voice he reserved for the criminals he hunted.

"And I told you Ollie, that wasn't your choice. Are you really going to do this after I saved you and your new friend over there?"

Seeing this as his moment, Tim interrupted. "You called yourself the Canary. Why?"

She turned to him for a moment, answering in a terse fashion. "A friend used to call herself by that name. What's it to you?"

"I knew someone who called herself the Canary."

The entire room turned to look at Tim, which he took as a sign to continue the story.

"When I was beginning my training as Robin, my mentor hired a woman named Shiva to bring me up to scratch I combat abilities. Shiva was a former member of the League of Assassins, living in Gotham. While I was training with Shiva to master my staff, the Canary showed up seeking asylum. She helped me train while she was there and patrolled with me during my first few times. She was a good friend and mentor."

Brief anger and pain flashed through Oliver's eyes, Tim noticed, but it was nothing compared to the pure hatred that flashed over the new woman using the Canary identity.

"You better not be lying to us. What was her civilian name?"

"Sara. Sara Lance, daughter of Police Captain Quentin Lance and Dinah Lance. Sister to..." Tim paused and the pieces fell together. Her irrational anger. The similarities in their looks and the name Oliver just called her by. It made sense. "You're Laurel Lance."

"Yes. And, I'm sorry but I have to go."

"Laurel," Oliver called. "We're not done with this."

"I didn't figure we were," she replied as she made her way up the stairs.

"You worked with Sara?" Diggle asked Tim.

"Yeah, for a few weeks. She said she really didn't like to stay in one place very long especially if the League of Assassins was after her. I heard about her death, but Batman barred me from investigating it myself. He won't let me handle the assassins if he can help it," he paused, catching his breath. "She's the one who tipped us off about the good work you guys were doing here in Starling. She's the reason that I was chosen to come after Crane instead of Batman himself. Because of her recommendation, he felt that the Arrow was trust worthy."

A silence fell over the group for a moment, before Tim spoke up again. "And the other woman who showed up. What happened to her?"

"She was gone by the time I got to the docks after saving Oliver. Any idea who she was?" Barry asked.

"Tatsu Yamashiro," both Oliver and Tim answered in unison. Oliver turned to the younger man. "You knew her?"

"Yes. Batman worked with her once on an investigation in the Markovian succession dispute. She went by the codename Katana. You?"

"She saved my life," Oliver responded. Tim could tell by his voice that there was more to the story, but he didn't push it. He was sure they'd run into Katana again. Besides, there were more important things to discuss.

"Did the plan work?" he asked Oliver.

"Yes."

"Good. Though, next time I really don't wish to be knocked out in order for you to get a shot at him. But as long as the tracker is in place when can know whenever he is with the gangs to pick up a shipment."

"_This is a specialized tracking chip Wayne Enterprises devised for the military. It implants itself under the skin of its target and sends out a signal that can be traced," Tim stated, standing in front of the group. "With it, Oracle can find his position on any satellite in the world and relay it to Felicity's computer."_

"_Yes," Diggle responded. "But how do we get it on him?"_

"_As long as we can pierce the skin, we can get it on him. We just need a distraction."_

"I understand that we wanted a distraction, but to get yourself knocked out is pretty hardcore," said Cisco, his eyes wide. "And without super powers."

"I don't think we expected to be knocked out," Tim responded. "Listen, I don't think we're going to get any further tonight. As long as the tracker is in place, we can go with a better plan to stop the meta next time we find them. Besides, I have a meeting with Thea tomorrow and now I have to come up with something believable to explain my raspy voice."

"Hot pipes will work. Oliver and I did take you out tonight after all," Diggle responded with a smile.

End of Chapter Six

I'm still looking for a beta if anyone is interested. Just let me know. The next few chapters will focus more on character interaction. Until then, peace.


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